War Secret
by Eclectic Butterfly
Summary: Many things that happened in the War occurred in the shadows, and sometimes it's better if they stay there. Once again, though, the Barkley family must look to the past to help smooth out the present and the future. Sequel to War Treasure
1. Chapter 1

With a start, Natalie Ward sat up in her bed. Her heart was racing and she was gasping for breath. Before she could calm down, she heard a muffled cry. "Nat," she said, forgetting her own terror. She untangled herself from the quilt and got to her feet. Snatching up her dressing gown, she rushed to the door.

The hallway beyond her bedroom was empty, though a lamp at the end burned low as if in expectation of an event such as was occurring. No one, it seemed, had heard Nat's nightmare-driven cries just yet. Pulling her dressing gown on, Natalie hurried down the corridor, making her way along by memory in the darkness. She reached his door and pushed it open. "Nat?" she called in, anxious to hear her twin brother's voice. "Nat, are you alright?"

When she didn't hear anything in answer, she ventured further in. She wasn't as familiar with the room and sincerely wished she had thought to bring grab the lamp from the hallway, or any kind of light source really. Natalie found the edge of the bed, guided by the moans coming from her brother. As she leaned forward, her short hair fell against her cheeks and she pushed the locks behind her ear. "Nat, wake up," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

The moment she touched him, Nat Ward woke up. He flung his arm up and knocked her back. "Leave me be!" he shouted. "I won't have any part of it!"

Stumbling, Natalie managed to catch herself before she hit the floor. Maybe he wasn't awake after all. "Nat! It's me. You need to wake up now. Nat! Nat!"

All the sudden, her brother's slender hands were at her throat, squeezing tightly. Gasping in shock, Natalie tried to pry his fingers away. "I said I won't be party to murder!" he screamed in her face. "You're no angel of mercy, just an angel of death! Leave me be!"

Natalie's vision began to blur as she struggled to breathe. "Nat...let...me go!" she begged. But his fingers only tightened. Her legs were unable to hold her up anymore. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn't brought in the lamp. She didn't want her last view of her twin brother to be him in a murderous rage.

"Nathaniel Aaron Ward, let her go!" Ryan's voice rang out. A moment passed, and then Ryan said, in a much sharper tone, "Jack! Enough!"

The pressure vanished and Natalie fell to the floor. Air filled her lungs and then she began to cough. Hands grabbed her arms and pulled her up. "Take her," Ryan said, passing her off to someone else. "And don't let her back in this room!"

By the time her vision cleared, Natalie was seated in her bedroom with the nurse, Mrs. Sands, waving a bottle of smelling salts in front of her. "Take it away," Natalie said, bringing her hand to her nose as her eyes began to smart. Her voice was hoarse and raspy. "I am not about to swoon, I assure you."

"Thinking of the shock you've had, I wouldn't blame you if you did faint," Mrs. Sands said soothingly. The older woman moved to brighten the room with the lamp by Natalie's bed and on her writing desk. "You just stay right there until the doctor can come make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine," Natalie insisted. She could hear voices talking loudly nearby. "I need to see—"

Mrs. Sands shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss Ward, you can't," she told her. She moved to pour fresh water into the basin. She wet a rag and brought it to Natalie. "Your brother insists you stay away from Mr. Nat. He's not well right now and there's nothing you can do to help him right now. It's best to stay out of the doctor's way."

"He's my brother!" Natalie protested as the nurse gently pressed the cool rag against her throat. She closed her eyes, Nat's words running through her mind. _You're no angel of mercy, just an angel of death!_ "I need to be there for him."

She had been so hopeful that she would have her brother back when they left Stockton at the beginning of the summer. His behavior had been vague, almost regaining his memories when they had been with the Barkleys. Once they had arrived in Boston, though, he had taken a turn for the worse. Nightmares plagued him and he firmly maintained he didn't know them. Natalie especially made Nat uneasy.

"Not when you bring out bad memories," Ryan responded. Natalie opened her eyes as her older brother came in. He bent down and pulled the rag away to examine her throat, putting the damp cloth in her hands. He shook his head. "How many times must I tell you to stay away from him until he's stable? Natalie, he could have killed you tonight!"

"But he didn't."

Glancing over his shoulder, Ryan said, "Mrs. Sands, Dr. Ellis could use your help with my brother. You may safely leave my sister to me."

The nurse nodded and hurried out. Ryan turned his attention back to his sister. "Natalie, I know you don't mean any harm but Nat's progress always goes back a step when he sees you at night," he said seriously, poking at her throat. "You can't run to him every time you hear him in distress."

"He is my twin brother, Ryan. I can't just ignore him," Natalie said, pulling back. "That hurts, Ry."

"Stop talking before you make it worse," Ryan ordered, grabbing her head and holding it still. "In fact, I want you to talk as little as possible for the next week. We'll have to keep the swelling down and monitor you for any effects of oxygen deprivation. Mrs. Sands did good with the cold rag."

Annoyed, Natalie swatted at her brother's hands. "You're ignoring—"

"Stop talking." Ryan straightened up. "I understand you want to help Nat, but you have to accept that you just can't. As long as you're here, though, I know I'm not going to be able to keep you away. So, tomorrow I'm sending you to stay with friends until Nat is more himself."

Angrily, Natalie glared at him. "Ryan—"

"No, this is not up for debate. You're leaving and that's all there is to it. I have classes beginning soon and I do not want to worry about whether you're safe with Nat while I'm gone. Now get some rest."

Mutiny glinting in her eyes, Natalie crossed her arms as her brother left the room. She threw the damp rag at the door, but the slight thud it made on the wood before it slid down was unsatisfactory. Her gaze moved to where a sheet of paper was out on her desk and she began to smile.

"You want me to go to friends, Ryan, so I will go to my friends."

 _ **Two weeks later**_

Wiping his forehead with his sleeve, Eugene Barkley leaned against the fence post. He took a drink from his canteen as his half-brother joined him and together they looked over the work they had accomplished. "Since Nick's not here, think we can get away with calling it a day this early?" Gene asked, glancing over with a grin.

"Yep. He got an early day by going into town to meet Jarrod's train, so it's only fair that we get the same. Thing is we'll have to listen to his hollering tonight when we tell him, which won't be much different than any other evening," Heath responded. He and his younger brother shared a laugh over that. "Ready to put all this hard work behind you and get back to your studies?"

"Yes and no," Gene answered honestly. "I'm looking forward to returning to my studies and seeing the friends I have in San Francisco. But I know I'm going to miss being with the family and here on the ranch. Even if Nick does like to work me half to death. There's really no place like home."

Heath raised an eyebrow. "I see," he said as Gene drank from the canteen. "And by friends, I'm assuming you really mean one Natalie Ward, don't you?"

Gene choked on his water and spent nearly a minute coughing. "What? No!" he said in protest. "I mean, of course, I want to see her. And Ward! He'll be the one in class with me so he'll be the one I see more often. But I do want to know what they've been doing in Boston."

Tilting his head back, Heath laughed at the younger man's embarrassment. "Haven't you been writing to Natalie? Shouldn't you already know what she's been doing these past few months?"

Eugene hesitated and then explained, "She hasn't written back for a month now. Her last letter did say that her brother Nat hasn't been doing very well. Apparently, the things he's been remembering have nothing to do with their family and are all about the war."

"The war," Heath repeated softly, his teasing smile fading. His gaze shifted to the horizon. "Those kind of memories would be hard to deal with since he forgot them for a reason. A lot happened during the war, Gene, and most of it not good."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

Shaking his head, Heath straightened up. "Doesn't matter," he said. "It's in the past."

"Ward always said that," Gene pointed out. "Denying it happened, or ignoring it and not talking about it, almost got his entire family killed."

Tensing, Heath fought to shove his anger down. "Ward had his secrets, like we all do," he said sharply. "Leave it alone, Gene. A fellow might think you're studying psychology or something when you get back to Berkley."

He'd meant it as a joke to change the subject, but Gene shrugged in a good natured way. "Honestly, I've thought about it. I mean, there's been many accounts of men having come back from the war changed. It might be a fascinating study to explore."

With a scoff, Heath shook his head again. "Jarrod and Nick are right. You don't know what you want to do with your future. That's not going to encourage a girl's affection, you know. The minute she knows you don't have a career, she'll leave you to find some better prospect."

As hard as he tried, Heath couldn't keep all trace of bitterness from his voice. Thoughts of Liberty Keane, whose father had persuaded her to think Heath would bring her down, and Don Alfredo's daughter, who had been unwilling to take the chance on him, drifted through his mind. Gene, though, didn't seem to notice. "Natalie's not that kind of girl," the younger man protested.

"No one said anything about Natalie," Heath said, glancing over his shoulder. "You're the one bringing her into the conversation this time."

Sputtering, Gene hurried to catch up. "Heath, that's not fair. Hey, wait for me!"


	2. Chapter 2

Nick Barkley's spurs jangled as he walked onto the train platform. "Hello, Walter," he called out, spotting the stationmaster jotting down times on the chalkboard. "Is the train from 'Frisco on time? I thought it was supposed to be here by now."

Turning, Walter shook his head. "It's running behind by ten minutes, Nick," the white haired man responded. "It'll be here soon though, don't you worry. You expecting to meet someone on it or a different train?"

"Oh, Jarrod's finished up with his business and is returning from 'Frisco," Nick replied. "I've got plenty of time for a beer, I suppose. I'll be back, Walter."

Before Nick could go back the way he'd come, Walter cleared his throat and got the younger man's attention. "The westbound train came and went hours ago, you know," he said. He waited a few moments as the dark haired man just stared at him. "I said the west—"

"I heard you the first time, Walter. What does that have to do with anything?"

"You mean you don't know about the young lady who's come?" Walter asked, raising his eyebrows. "She told me she was on her way to visit you folks, and she'd been traveling nonstop for days. She asked to rest in my office for a short while before she left and she's still there, fast asleep. I figured one of you Barkleys would be along sooner or later for her."

Warily, Nick eyed the man. "She still there?" When Walter nodded, the dark haired rancher strode to the open door of the small office. In a chair along the wall, a young woman in a dark green traveling dress was sitting sideways, her head pillowed on her upraised arm against the wall. It took a long minute before Nick recognized her—and in all truth, it was the short tendrils of black hair that spurred his memory—and he exclaimed, "Natalie Ward?"

"Oh, so you do know her then?" Walter asked in relief. He'd followed Nick over and was looking around him. "I wondered if she was making it up about visiting you because she had nowhere else to go."

Ignoring the man's ramblings, Nick stepped into the room. He searched for some way to wake her, since she hadn't made a move when he'd spoken. He picked up a ledger from Walter's desk and dropped it a foot from where the woman was sleeping. The resulting thud made Natalie jerk awake with a cry. "What—?"

"Sleeping in a chair isn't going to leave you very rested, Miss Ward," Nick pointed out with any preamble. He had spent little time with the woman when she and her brother had visited at the end of spring, and he found it hard to forgive her for her part in the trouble that had descended on his family, whether Gene liked her or not.

Blinking, the young woman frowned as she straightened up. "Some sleep is better than no sleep," she said, a note of grouchiness in her voice. She put a hand up to her hat, which was askew, and tried to smooth down the tendrils of black hair that had come loose. Almost immediately, though, she gave it up as futile. She pushed herself to her feet and held her hand out. "Hello, Mr. Barkley. I'm pleased to see you again."

Warily, Nick took her hand in his, studying her closely. It wasn't hard to see the fatigue written on her face, along with the dark shadows under her eyes. "Hello, Miss Ward," the rancher said, remembering his manners last minute. "Gene didn't tell anyone you were coming. Well, not that anyone would have told me that detail anyway."

The woman's mouth quirked into a slight smile. "I'd be rather surprised if Gene _had_ told because since he doesn't know I intended on coming," she responded. "Will it be too much trouble to ask for a ride to your ranch? Or will you make me find my own way?"

"We'll work something out, once Jarrod is here," Nick told her. He couldn't tamp down his curiosity though. "You came alone? I wouldn't have thought that older brother of yours would have allowed you to do something like that."

Natalie's expression hardened for a moment. "Yes, well, he didn't have any say in the matter."

"Did you run away from your brother?" Nick asked, hearing the sound of the train coming. He glanced over his shoulder and raised his voice. "We'll continue this conversation on the way to the ranch."

With a shrug of her shoulders, Natalie bent down and picked up her bag. Swiftly, Nick took it from her and then led the way out onto the platform as the train's whistle blew to announce its arrival. Within a few minutes, the train had slowed to a stop and passengers exited the train cars.

As soon as he caught sight of his older brother, Nick moved forward with a grin. "Howdy, Jarrod!" he called out. "Good to have you back."

"Good to be back, Nick," Jarrod responded with a smile. He glanced at the bag in his brother's hand and raised his eyebrow. "Going somewhere?"

Startled, Nick looked down at the bag, having forgotten he was carrying it. "Oh, no," he said, returning his gaze to Jarrod. "This is Natalie Ward's luggage. You're going to be sharing the ride home with her. Once I find a wagon to transport you both, that is. I only brought your horse into town. I wasn't expecting more than one passenger."

"Natalie Ward?" Jarrod repeated. He looked beyond Nick and spotted the young woman. She put on a smile and came forward as he said, "This is a surprise! No one said the Wards were stopping on their way back to San Francisco."

"It's just me and I didn't warn anyone that I was coming," Natalie informed him. Her smile became rueful as she held her hand out. "Maybe it was a bit presumptuous to expect a warm welcome since you don't know me very well, but I honestly could think of nowhere else to go."

Jarrod took her hand, concern appearing on his face. "Something's happened?" he asked. He sent a glance at the curious men and women going past. "Then again, why don't we hold off on the explanations until we're some place a little more private."

With Nick leading the way, the trio left the station. "You have trouble with your lady's business?" Nick asked over his shoulder.

"Mrs. Neville is hardly 'my lady', Nick," Jarrod responded patiently. "She is my client, and no, I had no trouble in San Francisco. How have things been here? Trouble?"

"Not at the moment, but you never know when it will show up on your doorstep."

"Or creeps up on you at a train station?" Natalie asked, a Georgian accent slipping into her tone. "Mr. Barkley, you do say the most flattering things."

Jarrod chuckled as his brother tried to retract his words. "Brother Nick, I suggest you focus finding that wagon and getting us home before you have to eat your own words for supper tonight."

* * *

"Mother!" Nick shouted as soon as he entered the Barkley house. "Mother, we're home!"

A moment later, Victoria Barkley came from the kitchen. "Nicholas, must you shout so?" she chided, as she always did. She held her hands out to her oldest son as she hurried forward. "Jarrod! I'm glad you're home. You didn't say you had to spend so many weeks in San Francisco."

Laughing, Jarrod took her hands and kissed her cheek. "Well, I didn't know it was going to be so long, otherwise, I would have warned you," he told her affectionately. "Besides, it's not like I'm absolutely necessary to run the ranch, no matter what Nick has been trying to tell you."

Shaking her head, Victoria looked beyond her sons and spotted the young woman who had remained at the door. "Natalie?" she said in recognition. She stepped around Nick and Jarrod and hurried to take Natalie's hands, taking in the woman's disheveled appearance. "I didn't know you were coming! Gene never said! Are your brothers with you?"

Natalie shook her head, tears suddenly glittering in her blue eyes. "I'm alone," she managed to say.

"Oh, my dear girl," Victoria said compassionately. She drew the girl into an embrace. "Whatever has happened, you are welcome here. Jarrod take her luggage up to the spare bedroom. Natalie, you must be exhausted from traveling."

"Oh, she had some rest sleeping in a chair at the station," Nick commented.

Letting go of the girl, Victoria sent an appalled look at her son. "A chair at the station? Natalie, when did you reach Stockton?"

"Early this afternoon," the young woman responded, brushing her hand over her eyes. She managed a slight laugh. "It wasn't as bad as it sounds, really. I had screaming children in the compartments and seats around me for the past three days. The chair, as stiff and uncomfortable as it was, at least was in a quiet place."

Putting her arm around Natalie's waist, Victoria guided her guest to the staircase. "Well, there are no screaming children here, only Nick and his shouting, which he will control," she said, sending a pointed look over her shoulder at her son. "Let's get you settled and after you've had some rest and food, you can explain what's brought you here."

Jarrod followed them up the stairs, carrying his own bag along with Natalie's. Once they were at the bedroom, the young woman assured them she had everything she needed. As soon as the door was shut, Victoria turned to her oldest son with a quizzical expression.

"I don't know anymore than you do, Mother," he said in answer to the unspoken question. They walked back to the stairs. "Nick had already found her when I stepped off the train. She said here was the only place she could think to come."

"She's known such trouble and heartache already, I would hate to hear more has come her way," Victoria said. She shook her head and changed the subject. "And how was San Francisco? You're not going to have to go back, will you?"

"Not for the Neville case in any event," Jarrod told her. "If you don't mind, I would like to have her and her sister for dinner and then I can discuss a few details over with Mrs. Neville afterward."

Victoria considered the question. "Of course," she said after a few moments. "It would go a long way to dispel those terrible rumors if she were to be seen coming here. Will Sunday be too soon?"

"Not at all. I see you are thinking exactly as I have on the matter." Jarrod kissed her cheek again. "I will be in my study unpacking my papers if you need me. I'll leave it to you to tell Gene that Natalie is here. I have the feeling he will want to see her sooner rather than later."

They parted ways, Jarrod to the study and Victoria made her way to the kitchen. The Barkley matriarch informed Silas of their unexpected guest. When she returned to the front of the house, Heath and Gene were just coming in. "Kindly keep your voices down," she requested. "We have a visitor and she's upstairs resting."

"A visitor?" Heath repeated with interest. "Is it that Mrs. Neville Jarrod's been working for?"

"No," Victoria answered. "But she's had a long journey and needs the rest."

Gene frowned as he took off his gunbelt. "Who is it, Mother?"

"Never you mind. You'll see at dinner. Just get cleaned up. Quietly."

The two men exchanged glances and Heath lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Looks like we're going to have to wait to learn who this mystery woman is, Gene," he said. "Come on."

Victoria smiled as she watched them go up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

Feeling infinitely better, Natalie checked her appearance in the mirror. She had changed from her wrinkled traveling dress into a more comfortable blue gown, and brushed the tangles out of her short hair. She frowned at the fading bruises on her neck that were revealed by the neckline of the gown, and heaved a sigh. There was no way to hide them without drawing even more attention to them.

She could hear Nick's boisterous laughter coming from downstairs and the sound made her smile. The smell of bacon and coffee filled her nose as she took a deep breath. She'd slept undisturbed all night for the first time in weeks, with no nightmares to wake her. The sound of a door opening and closing nearby signaled someone else hurrying to join the rest of the family.

Spinning around, Natalie rushed to the door, hoping to catch up to whoever it was so she wouldn't have to go downstairs alone. When she opened the door and looked out, she recognized the young man who was halfway to the staircase already. "Gene!" she called out in delight.

Gene came to a stop and slowly turned. "Natalie? Natalie, what are you doing here?" he exclaimed. He was startled when Natalie ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her and lifted her a few inches off the floor. "I can't believe you're here."

"And I can't tell you how happy I am to see you," Natalie responded, closing her eyes.

It was only when someone cleared their throat that the pair broke apart, both blushing in embarrassment. "I think Ward will have your head if he catches you touching his sister like that, Brother Gene," Heath said, from the top of the stairs. "Hello, Nat. So you're Mother's mystery guest."

Smiling broadly, Natalie moved to give him a hug, though much shorter and less ardent than Gene's had been. "I guess I am," she said when she stepped back. "I don't know about you two, but I am starved. Shall we eat something and then we can talk?"

Heath looked beyond them. "Nat, are your brothers going to be joining us this morning?"

She shook her head and looped her arm around Gene's. "No, they will not. They did not come with me," she answered, tugging to get him moving. "When do you leave for Berkley, Gene? Classes must be starting soon, aren't they?"

"A couple weeks, but you should know that," Gene answered, escorting her down the stairs. When Natalie glanced over her shoulder, she saw that a frowning Heath was following only a step behind. "Ward's classes start at the same time, won't they?"

The woman sighed. "Ryan has decided to finish his medical education at Harvard. He's not going back to Berkley or San Francisco this year."

They reached the bottom of the staircase. "Natalie!" Audra exclaimed, running from the living room. She pushed Gene aside to hug her friend. "Mother just told me you were here. Why didn't you warn us you were coming? I would have made sure you had someone nicer than my brothers to meet you."

Laughing, Natalie sent a wink at Gene as she accepted the embrace. "If there is one thing I delight in, it's being unpredictable, Audra. It makes life more interesting."

"For you, maybe, but I imagine that unpredictableness drives your brother up a wall," Nick commented from the doorway. He had a cup of coffee in his head. "Like right about now, when he doesn't know where you are."

"Natalie, did you run away from home?" Audra asked in shock.

"Certainly not," Natalie answered. "Ryan sent me away."

His frown deepening, Heath took a step closer to her. He caught her chin and tilted her head back. "Natalie, where did you get these bruises? They look almost like...handprints."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Natalie sighed. "That's because they _are_ handprints, Heath," she admitted softly.

"Natalie, what happened?" Gene demanded as Audra gasped. Nick stepped closer as Heath's jaw twitched in anger. "Who did that to you?"

Flinging her hands up, Natalie recoiled from them, feeling far too pressured with them all hanging over her. "I swear it looks worse than it is," she said. "It was two weeks ago, so it looks better than it did. I'm fine. I promise."

Victoria came from the dining room with Jarrod behind her. "Children, let her eat something before you pester her with questions," she said firmly, coming to the woman's rescue. "She missed supper last night, you know."

"I can explain while I eat," Natalie said. She wasn't surprised when Jarrod took over escorting her to the table. Gene sent a sharp glare at his oldest brother and took the seat right next to her. "Though, it's not exactly a long story."

Once the rest of the family had sat down, Victoria said, "Natalie, you said your brother sent you away? Do those bruises have something to do with that decision?"

Grateful to have a starting point, Natalie nodded. "Ryan decided I would be safer with friends instead of with him and...Jack," she explained as she filled her plate with food. "What my brother failed to take into consideration was that thanks to all those years of hiding from our past, the only people I have as friends are you. So I packed my bags and came."

"Who is after you this time?" Nick asked. "Someone else after that infernal gold?"

Natalie hesitated and then she forced herself to pick up her fork. "No, not this time and as far as I know, no one is after me."

"Then, who tried to kill you, Natalie?" Jarrod asked gently.

"Jack."

Heath leaned forward. "Jack? Wait, isn't that...Nat, you can't mean—"

"Nathaniel, yes. My twin brother has tried, on more than one occasion, to kill me." Natalie's right hand moved to her throat. "Ryan said my being there was detrimental to Nat—Jack's recovery and dangerous to my own well being."

"Why would your brother try to kill you?" Audra asked in horror.

"Why didn't Ryan do something to stop him the first time he attacked you?" Jarrod asked at the same time.

The black haired woman glanced between them as she lowered her hand. "I don't know," she said in answer to them both. "All the progress that was made while we were here vanished days after we arrived in Boston. He became angry and didn't trust us anymore. Every time he saw me, he just got worse."

"Were you able to get any help from a doctor?" Victoria asked.

"The doctor was optimistic at first, but before I left he was hinting at the need to put Jack in an asylum. Ryan won't hear of it. He fully believes that our brother will remember who he is given enough peace and quiet." Natalie sighed. "Me being there wasn't conducive to that end, so I had to leave."

Heath drummed his fingers on his leg. "What would make Nat turn against you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "The last time he attacked me —well, Ryan would say I brought it on myself, going to Nat when he was having a nightmare—Nat said I wasn't an angel of mercy. He kept demanding that I stay away from him, that I was an angel of death. I don't know what he could have meant by that."

Abruptly, Heath stood up. "What did you say?"

Startled, Natalie looked up at him. "He said I wasn't an angel of mercy but an angel of death. Why? Do you know what it means?"

The man walked away from the table. "I don't really know," he finally said over his shoulder. "I heard both of those phrases before. When I was in Carterson. It was something the other prisoners would whisper at night. Some of them feared the angel, and others hoped the angel would come and end their suffering."

His family exchanged horrified looks, while Natalie stared at him with wide eyes. "Heath, do you have any idea who was this 'angel?'" Jarrod asked.

"No idea. Like I said, it was just whispers. Every now and again, someone would die and...like I said, it was just whispers."

"I'll make some inquiries," the lawyer decided. "There may be someone else who knows what this person, or phrase, really means." He saw Gene reach over and take Natalie's hand. "As soon as I get into town, I will send your brother a message before he worries himself to death."

Natalie's eyes flashed with anger. "Ryan seems to enjoy worry," she said, icy disdain slipping into her tone. "It's all he has ever done these past ten years."

"For good reason," Victoria pointed out gently.

The mild reproof didn't seem to reach the woman. "And unnecessarily," Natalie answered with a sharp tone. Her stomach gurgled and she blushed. She turned her attention to her plate of food but found that her appetite had fled. "I suppose I should have eaten before I started talking."

She didn't miss the way the Barkleys exchanged glances around her. She picked up her cup of coffee. "Mrs. Barkley, would you mind if I drank this in your garden?"

"Go ahead," Victoria said quickly. "Perhaps Gene and Audra will go with you keep you company."

Both made no objection and the trio of young people left the room. That left Victoria with her two oldest sons and Heath. "This is quite a turn of events," she commented calmly.

Nick went to his half-brother and put his hand on Heath's shoulder. "Is this going to bother you, Heath?" he asked. "As I recall, you didn't exactly make it out unscathed the last time a Ward was in this house."

As if Heath needed a reminder of the man desperate to find gold who had almost choked him to death. Aware that Victoria and Jarrod were watching, though, he forced a smile as he turned. "There's no danger of that happening again, since no one is after one of us for information."

"But to find this 'angel', I will be looking into some of Carterson's secrets," Jarrod pointed out. "Are you sure you can handle what I hear?"

"Of course I can. If you can find something that can help Nat, you should do it, Jarrod." Heath said sharply. He paused and took a deep breath. " There's chores to be done. I'll see you all later on."

He strode out of the room without waiting for an acknowledgement. Victoria shook her head. "So many things tie back to the war," she said. "Poor Natalie. For all she pretends she was fine with being sent away, she's very upset. I can understand why she might feel bitter about this situation."

Jarrod glanced over as he refilled his glass. "Do you?"

"Well, for years it has only been her and Ryan, running from everything that could reveal what happened during the war," his mother explained. "Now, suddenly, her brother has chosen to devote all of his attention to her brother. She has been pushed aside and left to friends, of which she has only a few. Us. Now she is thousands of miles from her only family, knowing she cannot return as long as Nat, or Jack, doesn't remember her."

"She's the one who decided to come here," Nick reminded her. "And brought her troubles with her. Again."

"I doubt this will be anything like it was this spring," Jarrod responded. "Now, I have to get into the office. I suggest you catch up to Heath, Nick, before he does something he'll regret later."


	4. Chapter 4

"The estate has been settled then?"

Nodding, Jarrod passed a file of papers across the desk to his client. "Your brother-in-law really had no case, since there was nothing amiss about your husband's will and no basis for those allegations," he explained to the black clad woman. "Carl's money, his property, all of his investments, belong to you now."

Mrs. Sarah Neville breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Jarrod," she said, her voice soft with the southern accent. "I just knew I could rely on you. It was such a shock that Jacob would try to break the will. Did you ever learn if he was the one who started those terrible rumors?"

"Unfortunately, there was no way to discover that, Sarah," Jarrod told her. The lawyer rose from his chair. "And I'm afraid there's no way to keep people from spreading those rumors."

"Why would someone think I killed Carl?" Sarah Neville asked, tears brimming in her eyes. She brought her handkerchief up and dabbed at the tears before they fell. "I loved my husband dearly. His death nearly destroyed me. He never seemed ill but he must have been hiding it from me."

"Yes, I know, Sarah," Jarrod said, moving around the desk to take her hand in his. "Time will put an end to such gossip. My mother would like to have you and your sister to dinner Sunday evening, if you have no other plans."

"I think you know the answer to that." Mrs. Neville stood up and clutched the papers to her chest. "Prudence and I would be delighted to come to dinner. What time should we arrive?"

"I will pick you up. About six?"

"Marvelous." Mrs. Neville smiled as she allowed the lawyer to escort her out of the office. Her blue eyes sparkled. "You've been so good to me, Jarrod. I can't thank you enough."

Opening the door for her, Jarrod returned her smile. "My pleasure, Sarah," he said. "I'll see you on Saturday."

Mrs. Neville set off on the sidewalk. Just as the lawyer was turning back, he heard his sister's voice. "Jarrod! Jarrod, wait!"

Coming from the opposite direction that Mrs. Neville had gone in, Audra, Gene, and Natalie were coming towards him. "Well, I didn't expect to see you three in town today," Jarrod said. "What prompted this excursion?"

Natalie laughed lightly. "Well, I didn't exactly put much thought into the attire I'd packed for my journey, so now I don't have much in the way of clothing," she explained. "And since most of it has been wrinkled and soiled from my travels already, Audra decreed this a problem in need of immediate solving. So, here we are."

"Oh, I see," Jarrod said with a chuckle. "That explains you and Audra's presence, but I doubt Gene was much help with this errand."

Gene's face flushed. "I wasn't about to let two young women come into town alone, Jarrod," he said defensively.

"Besides, we needed someone to carry everything we bought," Audra said, poking her brother's side with a cheeky grin. "Anyway, we're on our way to get some lunch and Natalie thought you might want to join us."

As he glanced from one young person to the other, Jarrod shook his head. "Thank you for the invitation but I think I would put a damper on your fun," he said. "You three run along. I'll see you at dinner tonight."

"Are you sure, Jarrod?" Natalie asked in concern.

"We might be in need of supervision from someone responsible," Audra said, her eyes dancing with mischief.

"You whippersnappers get on before I take you up on that offer," Jarrod told them. He waited until they were well on their way before he went back inside.

* * *

Over supper that night, conversation was kept light and cheerful, and no mention was made of what had driven Natalie to Stockton. Heath remained quiet, choosing to turn in early while his brothers played a game of billiards.

" _Maybe she'll come, Heath. The angel of mercy will come and this will be over for good."_

Sweaty and breathless, Heath sat up straight in his bed as the voice, so desperate, echoed in his mind. He breathed out and held his hand over his face. When he dropped his hand, he turned his gaze to the window. Though it was dark out, the horizon was beginning to lighten ever so slightly, signalling the sun about to rise.

Giving up on getting any more sleep, Heath swung his legs off the bed and stood up. He dressed for the day and then left his room. As he went down the stairs, he saw a light coming from the dining room. He was greeted by the smell of coffee as he drew nearer to the room. It didn't really surprise him to find Natalie sitting at the table.

"Bad dreams?" he asked softly.

The woman looked up from where she'd been drawing on the white tablecloth with her finger. "Yeah," she responded just as softly. She moved her hands to wrap them around the cup of coffee in front of her. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected they would go away just because I came here."

Going to the sideboard, Heath poured himself a cup of coffee. He sipped it as he walked to the table. He grimaced at the strong, bitter taste. "This isn't Silas' coffee," he said. He sent a questioning look in her direction. "Did you make this?"

"Yes. I didn't want to wake anyone."

Heath sat across from her and for several moments they both silently drank their coffee. "How long do you plan on staying?" Heath finally asked.

"Honestly, I only thought as far as getting here," Natalie admitted. "I was so angry with Ryan for insisting I leave that I didn't plan everything like I should have. I should have sent a message before I showed up. That would have been the right, polite thing to do."

There was no denying that and Heath didn't bother trying. "Ward didn't say how long you should be gone?"

"My brother isn't the greatest when it comes to communicating details. And he was more concerned about seeing to Jack at the time, once he made sure I wasn't suffering any lasting harm from Jack's attack."

The relationship between the Ward siblings really was of no interest to Heath. "You keep going back and forth between calling your twin brother Nat and Jack," he commented. "Why is that?"

"Because he doesn't respond to being called his real name but I'm so used to calling him Nat, sometimes I forget to call him anything else." Sitting back, Natalie tilted her head and sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. "I want to help my brothers, Heath, but I don't know what to do."

"Jarrod is looking into it. Until he finds something, there's nothing you can do," Heath told her.

"So I'm not a terrible sister for leaving Nathaniel and Ryan?" Her voice was small and slightly choked.

Heath reached across the table and touched her hand. "Nat, your brother almost killed you," he said seriously. "If you had stayed, he might have succeeded the next time he snapped. Would you want him to carry that kind of guilt if he ever does remember who he really is?"

Lifting her head, Natalie managed a watery smile. "You always could make me see the best of things, Heath. Even when we were stuck in a camp surrounded by unwashed, smelly soldiers."

"What are you complaining about? You didn't have to share a tent with three of them."

"Maybe not, but I had to share with my brothers," Natalie fired back with a laugh. Her amusement faded away instantly. "Sometimes I feel lost, Heath. Ryan kept us running so long, and hiding was the only goal we ever had. Now that we aren't running, something I always wanted, I don't know what to do with myself."

That sentiment Heath could understand all too well. When he'd finally ben accepted as part of the Barkley family, it had taken time to work out...well, everything from what was expected of him to relying on his new family when trouble came along. "Nat, you'll figure it out. At sometime in their life, I think everyone feels like that. The answer is different for each person."

She didn't look at all convinced and Heath wasn't sure what else to say. "Heath is right, Natalie." Victoria's voice startled them both and they turned to the doorway. The family matriarch walked over to stand next to Heath and put her hand on the man's shoulder. "You're a talented young woman. There are many things you can decide to do."

Natalie shook her head. "Talented maybe, but my talents aren't exactly the kind of things a young lady should talk about. Whenever is my skill with a gun going to be useful?"

Heath firmly shoved away the memory of how Liberty Keane had used her talent with a gun. "You'd be surprised how handy that talent can be here in the west," Victoria said, unaware the direction her adopted son's thoughts had taken. "You're young with your whole life ahead of you. Don't think that you must decide right now and be stuck with that decision for the rest of your life."

Tilting her head, Natalie considered that for a moment. "That's true, I suppose," she said. She gave a slight laugh. "Ryan always complains about some of his classmates always changing their mind in the middle of some course and completely change what they intended to study. I guess I'm not as alone as I thought."

"Natalie dear, you look very tired," Victoria observed. "Why don't you go back to bed and get some more rest. I know Audra has about a hundred things she wants to do with you today. "

Sighing, Natalie picked up her cup. She finished her drink and stood up. "I can only try," she said. With that, she left the dining room.

Victoria squeezed Heath's shoulder affectionately before moving to the sideboard. "Does Nick have big plans for you today, Heath?" she asked, lifting the coffeepot. "Is that why you're up at this hour?"

"Couldn't sleep. Bad dreams," Heath answered honestly. "It's not that early."

"Early enough," Victoria said, carrying her cup of coffee to the table. "Were you being sincere when you said Jarrod looking into this angel wouldn't bother you? We pushed you about forgiving Matt Bentell for his part in the war, and we shouldn't have. I'll never forgive myself for that. And if you don't want to know about this, I'll tell Jarrod to leave it alone."

With a half-smile, Heath shook his head. "I'm sure, Mother," he said. "Nat—Natalie—deserves some peace, and if we can help her find that, I want to. Maybe Jarrod won't find anything about this angel of death, but we'll have tried."

" You're a good man, Heath. I hope you know how proud I am of you." Victoria tasted her coffee for the first time and she wrinkled her nose.

"I should have warned you. Natalie didn't want to bother anyone, so she made the coffee," Heath said with a laugh. "She learned how on the trail from a bunch of soldiers. Apparently, she hasn't been taught any different."

The sound of pots banging together in the kitchen came reached their ears. "Well, I'll just dispose of this before anyone else tastes it," Victoria said. "I shudder to think what Nick's opinion of it would be."

"Well, he'd be sure we all heard about it, that's for sure."


	5. Chapter 5

With the utmost reluctance, Gene joined his brothers in checking the fences the following morning, leaving Audra and Victoria to keep their guest entertained. "I have never seen him so set on a girl before," Nick commented, watching his youngest brother ride ahead of him and Heath.

"Why shouldn't he be?" Heath asked, his tone a mixture of annoyed and amused. "She's a pretty girl and any fellow, whether it's Gene or not, who wins her is going to be a lucky man."

For a moment, Nick sputtered. "We both know there's more to consider about a girl than whether she's pretty or not," he said. The memory of the beautiful Hester who had nearly torn his family apart still rankled, and he cleared his throat. "That girl has brought a lot of trouble every time she's shown up, and I don't count that as being a lucky thing."

"Then she fits in fairly well, don't you think? She's smart and talented, too. Nat is definitely more than a pretty face."

"Why is it I'm the only one concerned about Natalie Ward being here?"

Heath glanced over, looking more amused than anything. "Maybe because there's no reason for anyone to be concerned. You don't know her like the rest of us do, Nick."

"I know enough. She practically ran away from home, and I know she's killed before."

An icy expression crossed Heath's face. "Like I said, she fits in pretty well," he repeated. "Nat's killed because she's had no choice, same as you or Jarrod or I. Even Eugene's probably killed. He was there at the fight with Jordan, wasn't he? You can't say that he didn't hurt someone that day."

"It's not the same—"

"Even Mother has killed because she had no choice but to save Audra," Heath interrupted. "Face it, Nick. You have no reason to think bad of Nat, except she reminds you of Hester Converse so you've plain made up your mind that you don't like her."

Scowling, Nick rode in silence for several minutes. "You think that highly of Natalie Ward?" he finally asked.

Glancing over, Heath thawed slightly. "Nick, I've known Nat for years now. Sure I thought she was a boy when I first met her but her character and personality hasn't changed. Yes, I think highly of her. She's been through alot in her life and it's made her a strong person I'm proud to call friend."

"It's a wonder you're not chasing her then."

That grumpy statement drew a laugh from Heath. "Gene would hardly appreciate that," he pointed out. The fair haired man's smile faded. "We both know what could happen."

"There are times I think we'd be better off without women in our life."

"Why would you think a crazy thing like that?" Heath asked in astonishment. "We need to get you out if the sun, Nick. It's having the strangest effect on your head."

"Hey!" Gene called from up ahead. "I thought we were going to be working. If you two are going to spend the morning jawing away, I'm going to go back to the house."

Nick nudged his horse into motion. "Keep your shirt on, Brother Gene," he responded, raising his voice. "You're not getting off that easily."

* * *

Humming, Natalie sat back in her chair. On her lap was the sketchbook she'd made sure to include when she'd hastily packed. She tapped the paper with the back of her pencil, studying the scene she'd just sketched. She grimaced and turned the page to begin sketching on a fresh sheet.

"There you are, Natalie," Jarrod said as he stepped out on the porch. "I received word from your brother while I was in town. He's relieved you are well and insists you make arrangements to return to Boston."

As her pencil went still, Natalie lifted her gaze and let out a small laugh. "Oh, I have no doubt that's what he expects of me," she said merrily. "If there is one thing Ryan cannot rid himself of, it's that southern mentality of needing to shelter and protect a woman."

Moving to take the seat opposite her, Jarrod shook his head. "I wouldn't exactly term that as a 'southern' mentality."

"If you'd ever visited the south, you'd know that gallantry is not only expected but encouraged there. A gentleman would do anything to keep a young southern belle from harm," Natalie responded, slipping the accent into her voice. She shook her head. "Of course, I do have a lot of prejudice against the south, if you couldn't tell."

"That's understandable given everything you've been through."

Dropping her gaze, Natalie heaved a sigh. "I'm almost tired of that phrase," she said. "No matter the opinion I give, what I say or do, everyone always understands because of what I've been through."

"Would you rather no one understood?"

"But do they really understand? Or is it just something they say because they don't know what else to say and they think it's what I want to hear?"

Chuckling, Jarrod leaned forward. "I can't answer that," he said. "And don't think you've distracted me from the point. Your brother wants you to return to Boston and has wired money to make sure you do that. He has requested I arrange everything for you and alert him to when you will ultimately arrive."

The young woman hummed a note. "Well, Ryan should not expect to get everything he wants," she said, drawing her pencil over the paper. "Have you sent a response?"

"Not yet. I believed you would have something to add before I did so."

"I don't think I do." Natalie continued drawing. After a moment, though, she paused. "On second thought, yes. Please inform my brother that I will continue on to San Francisco after I've spent a few weeks her in Stockton. Someone must look over our holdings there and it might as well be me since I'm this far west anyway."

Pushing himself up to his feet, Jarrod nodded. "I'll put that in the message."

"I'm sorry you and your family has been put right back in the middle of my family's troubles."

"You don't mean that."

Looking up, Natalie grinned at the lawyer. "Maybe not completely, Councillor," she said, her tone cheerful. "I'm really glad to be back here, Jarrod. Everyone has treated me like a member of the family, something I haven't had in a very long time."

"We're happy to have you here. Gene, especially."

A blush spread across the young woman's face and she dropped her gaze. "He's always been kind to me."

Chuckling, Jarrod patted her shoulder. "I should warn you," he said. "On Sunday, a client of mine is coming for dinner. She and her sister are from Georgia."

Taking a deep breath, Natalie forced herself to relax her grip on her pencil. "I will remember my manners."

"I'll leave you to your sketching."

Natalie breathed a sigh of relief as the lawyer left her to her thoughts. The sketch she'd barely started failed to hold her attention, much like the previous one that she had abandoned. She sat back and leaned her head so that she could stare up at the sky.

* * *

"Where did she go?"

Ryan Ward looked up from where he was studying a couple medical books and sent a glance at his younger brother who stood at the window. "Natalie?" he asked cautiously. The mention of their sister's name didn't cause any reaction. Though their sister had been gone for nearly three weeks, this was the first Nat had mentioned her."She's gone to visit friends. I told you that already, Jack."

"Don't call me that." The young man ran his fingers lightly over the glass. "Where is she now?"

"She went to Stockton, Nat," Ryan said, resisting the urge to grind his teeth, though he was quick to use his brother's nickname. The exact reason for Natalie's departure had been kept from his brother for good reason. "She's visiting the Barkleys. You remember them, don't you? We stayed in their house when you were shot. I went to school with the youngest son, Eugene."

Nat shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I remember them, I guess," he said. "When is she coming back? There's something I need to tell her."

"I'm not sure yet," Ryan said, choosing his words carefully. "Once you're better she'll come home. You can write her a letter or I can send a telegram if it's that important."

"I'm not sick, Ryan. I just don't remember things all the time."

Standing up, Ryan walked across the study to join Nat at the window. Outside, rain was falling heavily. "We're just trying to be careful," he said. "Natalie's happier where she is. You could not have expected her to stay here every minute."

"Why did she leave without saying goodbye? She promised she wouldn't leave me."

Ryan put his hand on the young man's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off instantly. "When did Natalie promise that?"

There was a pause and Nat made a frustrated sound in his throat. "I don't know. Forget I said anything. She just shouldn't have gone."

"Nat, you're still having nightmares."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Nat demanded, jerking away from the window. "She has nightmares. You have nightmares. Everyone who had anything to do with that stupid war has nightmares, Ryan!"

Ryan held his hands up in a placating way. "If it will make you feel better, I can have her come home. It will be a couple weeks but she'll be home as soon as possible. She wouldn't stay away if she knew you wanted her."

His younger brother began rubbing the side of his head. "No. Just leave me alone." Turning, he walked out of the room.

Shaking his head, Ryan went back to his studying. "Natalie, you little fool. You should not have run off," he muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

When late Sunday afternoon arrived, Jarrod drove the buggy into town to collect his clients and guests. "It was very kind of your mother to invite us to dinner," Mrs. Neville said as Jarrod brought the buggy to a halt in front of the Barkley house. She waited until the lawyer hurried around the buggy to help her down. "My husband always said the Barkley hospitality was unmatched in all California."

"Considering how generous Carl was, that is quite a compliment," Jarrod said. He turned to offer his hand to Mrs. Neville's sister, Miss Prudence Farnin, but the quiet woman had already stepped to the ground. "It was a loss to all of Stockton when Carl died this summer."

"Please, Mr. Barkley—Jarrod—I find I am tired of words of condolences," Mrs. Neville said, brushing at her skirt. She lifted her gaze, determination shining in her brown eyes. "I am quite determined not to let my husband's death bury me before my time. I shall always love him, miss him, of course but life does go on."

"Mrs. Neville, you do realize that such a bold statement does add to the gossips' ammunition," Jarrod told her, offering his arm.

She shook her head, making her silky black curls bounce as she put her hand on his arm. "That ridiculous notion that I killed my husband? I am determined not to let it bother me any more than it already has. You know those gossips were jealous I'd married him when none of them managed to catch him. They'll soon find something else to occupy them."

"In the meantime, it would be best not to antagonize them," Jarrod told her as he escorted her in. He glanced over his shoulder at Miss Farnin. "Surely you agree, Miss Farnin."

"Sarah has a mind of her own, and nothing I say can persuade her to do anything she does not wish to do," Miss Farnin responded, in an accent just as thick as her sister's though infinitely icier. "Surely, you realized this yourself, Mr. Barkley."

The trio crossed the threshold. Silas was on hand to take their wraps and hats. "Thank you, Silas," Jarrod thanked, noting how both of the women avoided even looking at the cook/butler. "This way, ladies."

Victoria rose as they walked into the room, making the silk rustle as she moved. "Mrs. Neville, Miss Farnin, I'm so pleased you could join us this evening," she said, holding her hand out. "I hope you had a pleasant journey here."

Awkwardly, Mrs. Neville extended her hand to shake Victoria's. "It was highly enjoyable, Mrs. Barkley," she said. "Thank you for your invitation. I've been confined at home a great deal since my husband's death, so I'm delighted to be visiting once again."

Gesturing for them to be seated, Victoria returned to her chair. "My daughter and other sons are still dressing, but they should be down soon," she said. "May I offer you something to drink before dinner?"

"Thank you."

Carrying the small glasses of claret to their guests, Jarrod glanced between them and cleared his throat. "I ran into Mrs. Wilson while I was in town, Mother. She sends her regards and insists you must come see her soon," he said, introducing a neutral topic. "She hinted at having exciting news to impart."

"Really? I can't imagine what it could be," Victoria said with interest. "After all, her last daughter was married this spring...unless—"

"Speculation will only lead to trouble, Mother," Jarrod reminded with a chuckle. Doors opened and closed and then laughter drifted from the staircase. "It sounds like the rest of our dinner party is on their way down."

Arm in arm, laughing over something that Gene was trying to defend, Audra and Natalie entered the room. "Mrs. Neville, Miss Farnin, may I introduce my sister Audra, my younger brother Eugene," Jarrod said. "And a guest of ours, Miss Natalie Ward. My other brothers, Nick and Heath will be along soon, I'm sure."

"A pleasure," Mrs. Neville acknowledged, nodding slightly. Miss Farnin repeated the gesture but said nothing.

"Welcome to our ranch," Audra said graciously. She pulled Natalie to the sofa where they both sat. "Gene, get us something to drink."

"Alright, alright, bossy," Gene responded.

Audra stuck her tongue out at her brother in response to that. Mrs. Neville and Miss Farnin looked appalled at their behavior. "Have you ever seen such misbehaved children?" Jarrod asked with a laugh. "You'd never know Gene there is a college student, would you?"

"Children, sir, are supposed to be seen and not heard," Miss Farnin remarked coolly, her accent obvious. "I doubt your siblings could manage even that."

Victoria's eyebrows went up at the blunt statement but before she could for a response, someone else did for her. "I suppose you had the extreme misfortune of being passed on to a mammy when you were a misbehaving child," Natalie said, mimicking the southern accent as flawlessly as she ever did. "That would be the only successful way for any child to not be not heard."

Miss Farnin's eyes narrowed. "Are you mocking me, Miss Ward?"

"Of course she isn't, Miss Farnin. Natalie's family is from Georgia originally, though she spent the majority of her time in Boston and in San Francisco," Jarrod said swiftly in an effort to avoid a confrontation. He sent a pointed look at Natalie, who looked unrepentant.

"From Georgia? Why, imagine meeting someone from home way out here, Prudence" Mrs. Neville exclaimed. "You must tell us who your family is, Miss Ward. Perhaps we share some acquaintance."

Accepting a glass from Gene, Natalie offered a smile. "Perhaps you are, and perhaps we are even related," she said, the accent vanishing as quickly as it had come. "Not a far fetched thought when you think of how many cousins married each other to keep the blood pure."

"Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance between you three," Victoria said, glancing between Natalie and Mrs. Neville. They both had dark hair, though Mrs. Neville's eyes were brown while Natalie's a sparkling blue. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was some family connection."

"You're not here alone, are you, Miss Ward?" Miss Farnin asked. "Did your family leave you here?"

"I did come alone," Natalie responded as Gene sat next to her on settee. "My brothers are currently in Boston and could not come west at this time."

"How can this be?" Miss Farnin asked pointedly. "Who was your companion?"

Visibly, Natalie became tense. "I had no companion, Miss Farnin."

Miss Farnin's expression became appalled. "Surely a gentleman would not allow his sister to make such a journey alone. And you say you come from the south? I would have expected better, though Mr. Barkley did say your family had spent most of their time in Boston."

"My brother was not aware I would be making this journey, so such condemnation of his character is erroneous and offensive."

"Goodness, did you run away from home, Miss Ward? Isn't it the duty of a sister to obey the male members of her family in all things? And I must assume he is not aware of the shocking length of your hair. What were you thinking in doing such a thing?"

Though by this point everyone in the room was on edge, Gene and Audra both snickered at that. "If it is a sister's responsibility to obey her brother, Audra has failed miserably at it," the young man declared. He dodged the slap Audra tried to send his way. He dodged the slap Audra tried to send his way.

"What is Gene trying to insult our sister about this time?" Nick asked as he strode in. "Mrs. Neville, Miss Farnin, welcome."

With the arrival of Nick and Heath, any confrontation Miss Farnin had been trying to egg on was abandoned. Conversation was kept light over the meal, which Silas served. Again, Jarrod took note of the aversion his two guests had of looking at the man. Hardly surprising, given their southern background but not a welcome observation.

* * *

After dinner, Victoria began to regret she hadn't planned something specific to entertain their guests. Every suggestion brought forth some protest from one or the other Victoria began to regret she hadn't planned something specific to entertain their guests. Every suggestion brought forth some protest from one or the other. Mrs. Neville declined playing a game of cards, citing it as tedious. Miss Farnin protested her dislike of singing, and seemed determined to needle Natalie into an argument.

At her wits end, Victoria suggested dancing. Before Miss Farnin could object to that, Gene latched onto the scheme and asked Natalie to dance. While Victoria played the piano, Audra danced with Heath while Natalie and Gene partnered and Jarrod asked Mrs. Neville and Jarrod asked Mrs. Neville.

"You what?"

Nick enraged shout and the shatter of a glass brought the impromptu dance to a halt. "You heard me quite clearly, I believe," Miss Farnin said smugly. "Why should I be ashamed of my contributions to the war effort? The soldiers in prison needed succour as much as any other person, however much they deserved to be where they were."

Heath's expression lost all merriment and Natalie looked sick. Nick's face became beet red as he fought to control his temper. "Forgive me, Mother," he said, uncurling his fingers. Shards of glass fell to the floor. "Can I interest you in a game of billiards, Heath It's been far too long since I've taken your money."

For a moment, it seemed as though Heath wouldn't rise to the challenge. "Only because I took your money last time," he finally said. "I'll play you, Nick. Excuse us."

The two men left the room. Raising her eyebrow, Victoria faced Miss Farnin, who looked victorious. "Is there some kind of problem?" Mrs. Neville asked, breaking the silence.

"You couldn't have known this, but Heath spent the last months of the war in a southern prison," Jarrod told her. "Carterson, to be exact."

"Oh, that poor man! No wonder he reacted so badly."

"Poor? Sarah, surely you remember we stopped by Carterson when we were traveling west," her sister said sharply. "A more well run place I never did see. Why, it was horrible hearing those lies the Yankees spread about it. The prerogative of the winning side, I suppose, is to slander the losers."

Victoria's hands crashed down the keys of the piano. "Prudence! Remember where we are!" Sarah Neville exclaimed. Without waiting for her sister to respond, she turned to Jarrod. "Jarrod, I do believe it would be best if you were to return us to Stockton before my sister offends anyone else."

"I would agree, Mrs. Neville," Victoria agreed evenly. "Thank you for coming tonight."

She didn't miss the way Natalie seemed to be leaning against Gene. Audra glared fiercely at their two guests as they moved past her. Jarrod sent an apologetic look at his mother as he hurried after the women. Silas hastily collected the hats and wraps for the women.

As soon as the front door closed, Victoria collapsed into a chair with a sigh. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Barkley," Natalie said immediately. "Earlier, I let my tongue run away with me. If I hadn't, perhaps Miss Farnin would not have spoken so hatefully."

"You had nothing to do with her attitude, Natalie," Gene protested. He squeezed her fingers. "She was looking for a fight the moment she knew you came from the south but lived in the north."

"Some people just won't let the war end," Audra said, a note of condemnation in her voice. "It's been years now. The South should she still be angry?"

"Feelings ran high during the war," Victoria said softly. She shook her head with a rueful sigh. "It would be foolish to think such feelings vanished the instant the war was declared over."

Natalie stepped away from Gene, untangling her fingers from his. "Please excuse me," she said. "I think I would like some time to myself."

"Of course. Goodnight, Natalie."

The black haired girl hurried from the room. "She's going to have nightmares again tonight, isn't she?" Audra asked, turning to her mother.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Heath does too."


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: I hope everyone is still enjoying the story! :)**_

* * *

As soon as they stepped into the foyer of the magnificent home her husband had left to her, Sarah Neville turned on her sister. "How could you, Pru?" she demanded. "The Barkleys are the most influential people in the valley! What do you think will happen to us now that you've managed to anger them? You promised me you would never speak about the war!"

"How could I not speak up in defense of our side?" Prudence responded just as sharply. She roughly jerked her hat off her head. "The Yankees should acknowledge we were just as involved in the war as they were! They may have had the superior might but that hardly means they were _right."_

"The war is over, Pru, and there's nothing any of us can say or do to change the outcome," Sarah told her. "So many people already dislike us because of where we come from. We cannot make anymore enemies if we expect to stay here."

"I never expected this attitude from you, Sarah," Prudence said, with a mirthless laugh. "As I recall, you were just as eager to pick up a gun and kill Yankees as any of our young men were."

Pushing past her sister, Sarah made her way to the sidebar. She poured herself a glassful of the amber liquid in the decanter. "But I'm not the one who attempted to _start_ another war in a living room," she said over her shoulder. "Honestly, Prudence, what got into you? You've never met that girl before! There was no call to hound her so. It's none of our business how she came west."

Prudence followed her into the room. "You heard that girl! She was more than ready to fight about the superiority of the north. And don't think you can bury yourself in that bottle like Daddy did!"

Draining the liquid from her glass, Sarah took several minutes to face her sister. "I will drink as much as I please, Prudence," she said. "Tomorrow, you will write an apology to Natalie Ward and the Barkleys. We might have a chance if you do."

"Why can't we leave this narrow minded town and go back to Atlanta? You've got more than enough money for us to get our family's plantation back!" Prudence grabbed her sister's arm. "Sarah, please. Take me away from these smug, condescending people. We don't belong here. We belong in Atlanta where our roots are!"

"How long would the money last?" Sarah demanded, shrugging off her sister's hand. "Neville may have been wealthy, but it will take time to dispense with all of his stupid investments. If I do it too soon or too fast, you know what will happen. It will be New Orleans all over again and I, for one, do not want to go through that again."

"Well, I hope you don't think you'll get anywhere with Jarrod Barkley," Prudence said with a sneer. "Because if you even try, he will find out what you've done, Sarah Elizabeth Farnin and then everything will be over."

With those cryptic words, Prudence marched out of the room. Scowling, Sarah poured herself another drink. "I will do whatever I please," she muttered. "And if I want Jarrod Barkley, I'll get him."

* * *

When Audra came downstairs for breakfast, she found Natalie at the table, bent over her sketchbook. "You look focused. What are you drawing today?" Audra asked as she walked to take her seat at the table.

Natalie straightened up. "Just an idea that occurred to me last night," she said, rubbing at her eyes.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Audra asked

The other woman shrugged and then brought her left hand up to hide a yawn. "Some. One of my dreams, actually, inspired my drawing."

"Really? Can I see?"

For a moment, Natalie hesitated. "Of course," she said, pushing the sketchbook across the table. As Audra turned the book to study it closer, the other woman clasped her hands together. "It doesn't mean anything, you understand. Just a thought that wouldn't leave me alone."

Frowning, Audra took in the trio of portraits on the page. "Well, I know this one is you," she said, pointing to the far right sketch. "I would say these other two are Mrs. Neville, and Miss Farnin, only you've drawn them to look younger than they are now. They look to be about your age in this drawing." She lifted her gaze to her friend, a puzzled expression on her face. "What's your idea?"

"Well, your mother remarked on the resemblance between us. I just wanted to see just how much we looked alike."

Audra snapped her fingers. "Wait a moment. Your brother attacked you, thinking you were someone else," she said. "You think Mrs. Neville and her sister had something to do with that angel of death thing?"

"I don't know." Natalie leaned back in her chair and spread her hands. " In the dark, someone in the grips of a nightmare of something that had happened in the past might be have mistaken me for either Mrs. Neville and Miss Farnin. Like I said, it was just an idea."

"Natalie, I think you might be onto something," Audra said, a note of enthusiasm creeping into her voice. "You need to show this to Jarrod."

"And have him think I'm paranoid as well as prejudiced?" Natalie asked, lunging forward to grab the sketch. "I'm sure there must be dozens of women who have black hair like mine that could be said to resemble me. And no doubt, in the dark, anyone could be mistaken for another person no matter what they look like. It was a far fetched idea, Audra, and I hope you will keep it to yourself."

"Are you two sharing secrets?" Jarrod asked as he entered the room.

Natalie's hand moved over the sketch to hide it. The two young women locked eyes, and Natalie silently pleaded. "If we were, we wouldn't tell you, Jarrod," Audra said primly, sitting back.

Raising his eyebrow, Jarrod eyed them both skeptically. "I didn't get a chance to apologize for what happened last night, Natalie."

Closing her sketchbook swiftly, Natalie shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. My daddy always said everyone has their own opinion about everything and seldom do they agree. And I should have kept a better control of my tongue."

"Jarrod, have you started looking into who the angel of death could be that Natalie and Heath mentioned?" Audra asked, ignoring the wide-eyed look that her friend sent her.

"Audra, I've only been on the case for a few days," Jarrod said with a chuckle. "It will take some time to hear back from my contacts. Until then, we simply have to wait. Do you think you can manage to do better?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I bet I could."

Jarrod laughed outright and shook his head. "Enlighten me, dear sister. Just where do you think I should have started with first?"

Holding her hand over her face, both mortified and amused at Audra's boldness, Natalie peeked through her fingers. Her fair haired friend had a smug smile on her face. "Well, Matt Bentell still works for us, doesn't he? What better person to question about what went on in Carterson than the person who ran the vile place?"

Natalie's breath caught in her throat. "No, Audra." Jarrod's voice took on a firm grave tone. "Mr. Bentell has made it clear he has left behind that life. To badger him about a difficult time in his life would be cruel and unnecessary."

"And what about the people you've contacted?" Audra asked indignantly. "Aren't they putting that place behind them? Why aren't you showing them the same consideration?"

Frowning, Jarrod eyed his only sister. "This is a strange conversation for us to be having. You don't usually take this much interest in my cases."

"Not all your cases are at all interesting or have anything to do with us."

"And this one has nothing to do with you," Jarrod told her. He sent a glance at the door to the kitchen. "Now, I suggest you let Silas set the table for breakfast before Nick comes down and puts up a fuss."

With a wry smile, Natalie stood up. "Yes, I wouldn't want to get anymore on his bad side than I already am," she said, closing her sketchbook.

"You're not on his bad side," Audra said quickly "He just doesn't know you yet."

The glance Natalie sent to Jarrod showed just how much she _did not_ believe that, but she kept quiet as Audra linked arms with her. The two young women left the dining room and Audra said in a low voice, "Natalie, you have to convince Gene to take us up to the lumber camp."

"I do? Why?"

"Because we're going to visit Matt Bentell and two women going there alone is simply unheard of. Just ask, alright? Gene will do anything for you."

* * *

"Mrs. Neville is here to see you."

Looking up from his letter, Jarrod focused on his secretary. "Show her in," he said, setting the paper aside. He pushed his chair back and stood up. As he moved around the desk, his client entered. "This is a surprise. I hope no trouble has happened?"

"No trouble at all," Mrs. Neville responded, her skirts swishing as she walked. She held her hand out for Jarrod to take. "I thought I should come in person to apologize for my sister's behavior the other night."

Taking her hand in his, Jarrod led her to the chair opposite his desk. "My mother recieved Miss Farnin's note, so no apology necessary. And I'm certain Natalie intends on apologizing for her part in what happened on Sunday. It's in the past."

"Miss Ward is a lovely girl to do so. It was not her fault she was raised to hold her background in such contempt."

Jarrod frowned as he sat down in the next chair. "I've heard her speak with such fondness of her family's home, so I don't think contempt is the right word. The war exacted a high price from everyone in this country, I'm afraid. The only way we can move is to do just that, and not let bad emotions affect us."

"Jarrod, would you be able to have lunch with me today?"

Surprised by the unexpected offer, Jarrod nonetheless said, "I can think of nothing I would enjoy more."

Mrs. Neville's lips curved with a satisfied smile. "Mr. Barkley, you are quite the gentleman when you choose to be."


	8. Chapter 8

The Barkley wagon rumbled up the hill, jostling the three occupants even though they were wedged in tightly on the seat. "Do you have to hit every pothole in the road, Gene?" Audra demanded. "I can barely stay on the seat."

"The road is nothing but a pothole, Audra," Gene answered, his focus staying on the road. "I can't avoid them."

In between them, Natalie clasped Gene's arm, trying to hold herself steady. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," she said for what felt like the hundredth time since they set off. "You heard what Jarrod said, Audra. I'm sure he would talk to Mr. Bentell if he thought there was anything he could learn from him. He's not going to like us meddling."

"He didn't say anything about you and I visiting the camp."

"We're going to be in so much trouble," Natalie groaned, turning her head to hide her face against Gene's shoulder.

"No, we won't."

Gene shook his head, trying to guide the team in the smoothest path. The edge of the camp came into view ahead of them. "Trouble or not, we're here," he announced.

Few loggers were in the camp, sharpening their tools and the smell of the camp cook at work filled the air. Gene guided the wagon towards the office, drawing the attention of the men who were in camp. The tall, lean figure of Matt Bentell stepped out on the porch as the wagon pulled to a stop in front of the building and Gene set the brake.

"Can I help you folks?" the man asked with no little suspicion. "This is private property and no place for sightseeing."

Scrambling down first, Gene reached up to help the women down. "We're not here to get in your way, Mr. Bentell," Audra said, raising her voice. "But we would like a moment of your time to ask you some questions."

Recognition lit the man's eyes. "Miss Barkley," he said, stepping forward. "I didn't recognize you. Is there some kind of trouble?"

"Nothing that involves the lumber camp. We are here on a more pressing matter," Audra said with a superior tone. "I don't believe you've met my brother, Eugene. And this is our friend, Miss Natalie Ward."

Bentell's eyes flicked over them. "Come on in," he invited, stepping to the side.

The trio of young people entered the office and the camp foreman followed them. "What is this about?" he asked as he moved to sit behind this desk.

"Carterson," Audra said boldly as she sat down in one of the two chairs that were across from the desk.

For a moment, Bentell went completely still. "I see. Why?"

"Audra thought you might be able to tell us something about the place," Natalie said quickly before her friend could botch the whole visit with bluntness. She sat on the edge of the second chair and Eugene took up position behind the two young ladies. "You see, I recently heard a phrase that Heath said he'd heard spoken while he was imprisoned in Carterson. Anything you can tell us would be appreciated."

Leaning back in his chair, Bentell raised his eyebrow. "What phrase?"

"Angel of death."

Bentell shifted his gaze to the wall. "Angel of death or angel of mercy," he said softly. He heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yes, I heard it mentioned quite often among the prisoners. Generally after a death occurred."

"Do you know what they meant?" Gene asked eagerly.

"Why is this so important to you?" the foreman asked in return.

Natalie ducked her head. "This may seem strange, but my twin brother made mention of it. He's had terrible nightmares and has attacked me before he realizes who I am. The last time he accused me of being an angel of death and not mercy. If there is some way or some kind of information that could help ease his mind, I want to know it."

"I don't know what you expect me to know. It's not as though the prisoners confided in me. I heard it mentioned, and several of the men working under me brought it to my attention more times than I can count. They were...unsettled by it."

"Do you remember exactly when you started hearing the phrase?"

Tilting his head, Bentell said, "I can't recall, Miss—Ward, was it? It's been several years, you understand and I have done my best to put the entire war behind me."

"We know that two women visited your prison before the war was over," Audra said, jumping back into the conversation. "The Misses Farnin. They brought provisions and aid to the prisoners. Do you remember that?"

Frowning, Matt Bentell paused for a long moment. "The name Farnin is familiar," he said slowly. "A Miss Farnin and her married sister, a Mrs. Anderson. They came about four months before the end of the war."

"Mrs. Anderson?" Audra repeated, glancing over at her friend. "I didn't know Mrs. Neville was married before she came to Stockton."

"That's not really important, though," Natalie pointed out. She hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Bentell, do you know if it was about the same time that these ladies visited that you began hearing about the angel of death?"

The man considered it. "It could be, though as I said I can't be certain. Does that help?"

"I don't honestly know," Natalie confessed. "It's just that those women resemble me and I thought maybe my brother was seeing them when it was me standing in front of him. It was a far fetched idea. One Miss Barkley decided to run with."

The last was said giving Audra a firm look, which was ignored by the fair haired young lady. "I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help to you," Bentell said, ignoring the subtle byplay.

"How many prisoners died while Miss Farnin and Mrs. Anderson visited Carterson?" Gene asked abruptly. "Do you know that?"

"If I had my records from the prison, I might have been able to tell you but I don't. I've tried to put my memories of that place out of my mind and live my life."

Natalie stood up. "I'm sorry we had to remind you of something you'd rather keep from your mind," she said. "I understand just how disorienting and distasteful that can be. Please forgive us. We won't trouble you any further."

As he got to his feet, Matt Bentell studied her. "Have we met before, Miss Ward? Your face is familiar to me."

"I was spared having to endure Carterson but I am told I bear a striking resemblance to my twin brother."

A puzzled frown crossed the man's face. "Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions," Gene said quickly to forestall any further inquires. He hurried his sisters out of the building. "Are you satisfied now, Audra?"

"I suppose I'll have to be since you both rushed us out of there so quickly," Audra said as she accepted her brother's hand in climbing up. As she looked down, she realized that Natalie was staring into the distance. "Natalie? Is something wrong?"

"N-no. Let's just go," Natalie said, dragging her gaze to her friends. She managed a slight smile. All she wanted was to be back on the ranch and the feeling of safety it gave her.

* * *

At dinner that night, Victoria glanced around, surprised at how quiet it was. Nick had, predictably, kept up a running monologue on chasing down a steer that had gotten through a fence. "Did no one else do anything interesting today?" she asked, finally interrupting her son. "Audra? Gene? You were gone all day. What did you do?"

She didn't miss the way her two youngest children exchanged guilty looks. Natalie cleared her throat. "They were kind enough to show me more of your business ventures," she said, keeping her eyes on her plate of food. "I was fascinated. I think you must have a hand in more business avenues than my family ever had."

"Really? Where did you go?" Jarrod asked curiously.

Again, Audra and Gene glanced at each other. "Here and there," Audra said lightly. "Did Silas add something new to his bread? It tastes different than usual. I think I will go and ask him. I'd like to make it for the children."

She moved to get up. Victoria laid her fork down. "Audra. Please stay where you are. Where exactly did you go today?"

"Northward," Gene put in, trying draw attention from his sister. "Like she said, here and there. Pass the potatoes, will you? I've worked up an appetite."

That brought Heath's head up and he frowned at the youngest Barkley. "Eugene," Jarrod said, infusing his voice with a note that proclaimed he would tolerate no nonsense. "Just what are you and Audra trying to hide?"

"What? Nothing!"

"Why are you so suspicious?" Audra asked, taking affront. "You'd think we'd done something criminal the way you're taking on."

"They took me to one of your lumber camps."

Everyone turned towards Natalie, who was still toying with her food. "Well, why didn't one of you say so in the first place?" Nick asked irritably. "There's nothing wrong with checking up on the camps every now and then. It will keep the men on their toes."

However, Jarrod was not as sanguine about the confession. "Please tell me you did not go and question Matt Bentell."

Visibly, Heath flinched. Natalie finally lifted her gaze and set her fork down. "We did." Her tone was matter of fact, though she'd tensed as though she expected to be in trouble.

"Audra!" Victoria exclaimed, her tone appalled as she turned to her daughter. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Well, I don't see why we shouldn't have," Audra said defensively. "After all, if we want to know something about Carterson, why not talk to the man who ran it?"

"Because I told you—" Jarrod began to say.

Audra glared at him. "What? You only said that _you_ wouldn't talk to him, so Natalie and I did. Mr. Bentell didn't mind. He answered every question we had and I rather think we learned something useful because we did so."

"Why would you go pestering a man while he's working like that?" Nick asked, clearly not as upset about the situation as everyone else was.

"Audra, we agreed to allow Mr. Bentell and his wife to put the past behind them," Victoria said, barely glancing at Nick. "It is cruel to remind him of it."

"I just thought he might know something and he did reveal—"

"That is not the point, Audra," Jarrod interrupted. "Surely, I made my feelings clear when I spoke to you and Natalie earlier."

Natalie slammed both of her hands down onto the tabletop. "Please stop!" Her outburst startled everyone into silence. "Why must you bicker and raise your voices so?"

The Barkleys glanced at each other. "That's funny coming from you, since I seem to recall hearing about your tendency to debate with anyone and everyone," Gene said, offering a slight. laugh.

Shoving her chair back, Natalie stood up and rushed out of the room. "Oh, well done," Audra said, glaring at Gene. She pushed out of her chair and ran after her friend. "Natalie, wait! He didn't mean anything by it."

"What is going on in this house?" Nick asked in frustration.

Victoria turned her gaze to her youngest son. "Exactly what did you learn when you were up at the camp?"

"I don't know. Nothing we didn't already know," Gene said, his tone bewildered. "Natalie asked if he'd heard 'the angel of death' before and he said he had but didn't know exactly when the prisoners at Carterson started saying it. He did remember Miss Farnin and her sister, only he said she was Mrs. Anderson then."

Jarrod frowned. "Mrs. Anderson?"

"Jarrod, did you know she was married before she became Mrs. Carl Neville?" Audra asked, leaning forward.

"The information is hardly relevant to anything," Jarrod said sharply.

Quietly, Heath put his napkin on the table and pushed his seat away. "Well, I don't trust her," Audra said boldly, ignoring her half-brother leaving the table. "In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she and her sister have something to do with what Natalie is searching for."

"Well, that would be convenient, wouldn't it?"

"Enough," Victoria said, putting an end to the disagreement. She sent sharp looks at all of her children, though Nick looked nonplussed at being included with the censure. "This is neither the time or place for this discussion."

"Yes, mother," they all said at the same time. As he spoke, Gene sent a glance at the doorway.


	9. Chapter 9

As quickly as she could, Natalie pulled her clothing from the wardrobe. She had her trunk open at the foot of the bed and her carpetbag open on the bed. There was a knock on the door behind her as she folded the first dress and she chose to ignore it.

"Natalie. Can we talk?" Heath said through the door.

"I'm not in the mood to talk right now, Heath," she called back, infusing a note of sweetness that she didn't feel into her voice. "In fact, I'm rather tired. I'd like to turn in for the night. I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

She heard her door open behind her and she spun around. "Heath! What if I had been changing?"

"Why are you packing?" Heath asked, unashamed as he entered the room.

"Why do you think?" Natalie responded, turning back to her packing. Her hands shook as she picked up the new dress she'd purchased in Stockton. "I've brought your family nothing but trouble. Again. I shouldn't have come here in the first place."

Coming up beside her, Heath put his hand on her shoulder. "Natalie," was all he said.

"No, you can't talk me out of it." Natalie shook him off. "My presence here has already caused trouble in your family."

"You've been away from a large family for too long," Heath said patiently. He took a seat on the edge of the bed. "That was a mild discussion compared to some we have. Jarrod is a lawyer, Natalie. He's accustomed to arguing every point, and the rest of us have our own opinions. You can't blame yourself for that."

Breathing out a sigh, Natalie turned and sat down. "What do you want from me?"

"I just want to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. My brother was messed up by the war and there's nothing anyone can do about."

Heath kept watching her. "Something upset you today. That's the only reason you would snap over a family dispute."

Natalie dropped her gaze to her hands. "Mr. Bentell thoughts I looked familiar."

"And?"

"Heath, I look like Nate. If Mr. Bentell thinks I look familiar, he must have seen one of us at some point," Natalie said, her hands curling into fists against her skirt. "What if...what if Nate was at Carterson?"

That made Heath go silent. "Why would he have been at Caterson?" he asked, his voice tight.

"I don't know!" Natalie pushed herself up and walked to the window. She looked out at the darkening yard. "How else would he know my brother? How else would he think I look familiar? What other explanation can there be?"

Closing his eyes, Heath firmly pushed away the memories from the prison that threatened to overwhelm him. Her really hated it whenever Carterson was mentioned. "I'm guessing you haven't mentioned this to Jarrod or anyone else?"

"How could I tell him? We weren't even supposed to go up to the logging camp."

Heath breathed out and shook his head. "You have to tell him."

"What would be the point? He doesn't really think he's going to find anything," Natalie said over her shoulder. "I should just go to San Francisco and just forget the whole thing."

"San Francisco? Why wouldn't you won't go back to Boston? That's where your family is."

Natalie's shoulders sagged. "What would be the point? I can't go back as long as Nate doesn't recognize me, and what chance is there he will ever be the brother I knew? I might as well go back to San Francisco. I know a few people there."

"You would make Ryan choose between you and Nate?"

"I'm not making him choose anything!" Natalie spun around. "Why do you think I left Boston? Nate needs Ryan more than I do and I would just...be in the way. It's better for everyone if I just go to San Francisco."

"Your brother spent years—from the moment the war ended until now—making sure you stayed safe," Heath told her seriously. "Do you think he is just going to accept this decision you made? A decision you made without consulting anyone?"

She shrugged. "Why wouldn't he? If there is anything Ryan is good at, it's accepting the logical decision. You know him, Heath. Surely you understand that."

"I understand you're hurting right now, and you are making decisions based on that hurt," Heath said softly. He stood up and walked to her. "It's why you left Boston without telling anyone and came here. And it's why you want to keep running. All you have known since the war is how to run."

Tears glistened in her eyes. "What if I don't want to know what Nate did or where he was those last few months of the war? What if it needs to stay buried in the past?"

"Because if you don't look, you know you'll be giving up your chance to help put your brother's mind at ease and I don't think you're ready for that," Heath said, his voice even and calm. "And then, if we have to, we'll bury whatever it is we find so deep it will never be found again."

Taking a deep breath, Natalie nodded and brushed at her eyes. "Well, then. I suppose I should put my clothes away before they get wrinkled." She walked to the bed and picked up one of the dresses.

* * *

When Heath exited the guest bedroom, he found Jarrod waiting for him in the hallway. "Will I need to send a telegram to Ryan Ward and tell him his sister is going to San Francisco?" the dark haired lawyer asked.

"No." Heath started towards the staircase. "She's staying."

"Heath." Jarrod followed him. "What did she tell you?"

At the top step, Heath came to a stop. "She told me that Bentell thought she looked familiar, like they had met sometime before."

"When would she and Ryan have—"

"They didn't meet Bentell," Heath said, answering the question before it was even finished. "The only way they would have was if they were prisoners of war and they weren't. Bentell could only think she looked familiar if he had seen her twin brother."

Clarity crossed Jarrod's face. "At some point, Nate Ward was at Carterson, or at least close enough that Matt Bentell saw him. And that would explain why Nate would have heard that phrase, 'angel of death.'"

"We already suspected there was some connection, or at least I did."

Reaching out, Jarrod grabbed Heath's arm. "We don't have to pursue this, Heath," he said, studying his half-brother's face. "We can convince Natalie that it is pointless to look any further."

"A lot of things happened at that place, Jarrod, and none of it good," Heath said in a low voice. "I promised Natalie I would help her learn the truth no matter what, and if that means facing what happened, then I will."

After a moment, Jarrod nodded and let go of his brother's arm. "I will keep sending out inquiries then."

"Does that mean you're going to question Mrs. Neville about why she and her sister were at Carterson?"

"Heath, we already know that they were there to provide supplies to the prisoners," Jarrod said patiently. "They said so when they were here for dinner. I don't have any reason to believe they lied."

"If there's one thing I knew, it's that anyone who had anything to do with Carterson lies through their teeth," Heath responded evenly before continuing down the stairs.

A slight sound behind him made Jarrod turn. Natalie was standing in her doorway and her gaze was unreadable. "I hope you understand what you have asked of him."

"I asked nothing of Heath." Natalie stepped back and closed her door again.

Jarrod heaved a sigh and cast a long suffering look at the ceiling.

* * *

"Natalie? Can we talk?" Gene's voice was penitent and hopeful.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Natalie stood up and walked to the door. It had only been an hour since Heath had come talked to her. Her thoughts had been going around and around since then. He had talked her into staying, convinced her it was the right thing to do, but Jarrod's simple statement had unsettled her once again.

Taking a deep breath, she put as genuine a smile as she could on her face and opened the door. "Hey, Gene," she said, leaning against the door frame. "Sorry I ran away from the table like I did. I just...needed some space."

"I want to apologize for what I said at the table. I shouldn't have tried to make a joke about the subject," Gene told her quickly. "I didn't think how you wouldn't like being in the middle of an argument. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

"Aw, Gene. Of course I forgive you." Natalie reached out and caught his hand. "I know I'm too sensitive about such things, and none of you meant anything by the squabble. You're family and that's just what families do."

A wide grin appeared on Gene's face and he squeezed her hand. "Could I convince you to take a walk with me?"

"In the dark?"

The young man cleared his throat, a red flush slowly creeping up his neck as Natalie raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

For a moment, the young woman studied him. "Alright. Some fresh air would be nice."

She made sure to close the door behind her once she was in the hallway. Gene did not seem inclined to let go of her hand, so they went down the stairs hand in hand. From the living room, Victoria watched them walk out, an amused smile on her face.


	10. Chapter 10

The entire Barkley family was gathered around the table when Natalie swept in. The young woman had her hair pinned back and was in a dark blue gown. "You look dressed to meet the president," Gene complemented, jumping up to pull her seat out for her.

In the seat next to the young woman, Nick swiftly dropped his gaze to the plate in front of him. "Not the president, Gene," Natalie said cheerfully. "I intend on doing what we talked about last night."

"Really? I didn't think you would do it." There was a note of disappointment in Gene's voice.

"Care to share what 'it' is?" Jarrod asked.

Looking completely serious, Natalie placed her napkin on her lap. "I shall visit Mrs. Neville and offer my apologies for what I said the other night," she explained simply. "And I have written down as far back my family tree as I can remember so that we can compare relatives."

"That's...generous of you."

Natalie refused to look at anyone. "My mother would expect nothing less."

Heath and Audra both stared at her with open suspicion. "Would you like company?" Victoria asked as Silas brought in the first steaming bowl of food. "Or would you prefer to make this visit on your own?"

"If you would like to accompany me, I have no objection."

* * *

The rest of the meal passed peacefully enough. Nick and Heath discussed what they intended to accomplish that day with Gene, not giving the young man the chance to get out of the day's work. Jarrod, naturally, was going into his office, and didn't mention that he had another lunch date with Mrs. Neville. By unspoken consensus, Victoria and Audra both planned to go with Natalie into town.

With Victoria at the reins, the trio of women entered Stockton about mid-morning. The Neville house was on the opposite edge of town. A strange, haunting sound came from the tall house as Victoria set the brake.

"What is that?" Audra asked, staring at the building with wide eyes.

It was Natalie who answered. "That is the sound of a glass armonica being played," she said, her tone quiet. "Not many people play it as it's an extremely fragile instrument. I've only heard it once or twice before."

"I don't think I like it. It's so...melancholy," the fair haired young woman said, shaking her head. "No wonder people avoid the house!"

They approached the door, which opened when they were only a few steps away. "Mrs. Barkley!" Mrs. Anderson exclaimed with a broad smile. "This is a marvelous surprise! I had no idea you intended to visit today."

"Good morning, Mrs. Neville," Victoria said, holding out her hand.

Awkwardly, Mrs. Anderson shook Victoria's hand. "Please. You must call me Sarah. Surely we know each other well enough for that." She turned her smile on the two younger women. "Audra. Miss Ward. You are welcome as well. Please come in and I will make some tea."

The music continued as they entered the house. It stopped only when Mrs. Neville called out, "Prudence! We have company."

"Your sister is very talented," Victoria said as she sat down.

"However did you get it here?" Natalie asked, her tone nothing but sweetness. "I always considered such an instrument to be fragile and quite impossible to take anywhere."

"I made sure I packed it with care," Prudence Farnin said as she entered. She gave no greeting or even smiled.

"The armonica is Prudence's one weakness," Mrs. Neville said quickly. She gestured for the dark skinned maid to bring the tea tray to her side. "Don't dawdle, girl!"

"To have only one weakness is a feat indeed," Audra commented, anxious to take attention from the poor maid.

"It's far better than some weakness, such as chasing after any young man who passes by."

The barb made Audra flinch. Natalie's hand shot out and she caught her friend's arm, holding the blonde woman in place. "What lady doesn't enjoy the company of a good looking man?" she asked, her tone merry. "I remember Mama regaling my siblings and I about the picnics in Georgia which were for exactly that purpose. Never say she lied to me!"

Miss Farnin's expression shifted to one of suspicion. "Wouldn't you want to know your mother lied? Otherwise you might have to see some good in the south."

Natalie's eyes widened and glistened all of the sudden as though she were about to cry. "Oh, this has gotten off so wrong," she exclaimed, letting go of Audra to clasp her hands over her heart. "I did so want to apologize about being overly sensitive at supper, and here I am doing so again. You will never forgive me at this rate."

Victoria and Audra stared at her in astonishment. Mrs. Neville made a clucking sound. "Prudence, you mustn't tease the girl so," the widow said, her tone chiding. "Of course we forgive you, Miss Ward. We'll consider the matter closed. None of us shall bring it up again."

For a brief moment, a satisfied smile appeared on Natalie's face. "Lovely! You're too kind." She made a show of digging into her reticule. "Last night, I made a list of my mother's relatives and thought perhaps we might find a family connection somewhere."

"What an excellent idea!" Mrs. Neville exclaimed, reaching out. "Let me look."

Looking on, Victoria couldn't shake the sudden unease she felt. In her lifetime, she had seen those who were skilled at manipulation and had been victim of them herself. To see Natalie do so with apparent ease was alarming, especially considering Gene growing attachment to the young woman.

"Why, yes!" Mrs. Neville said, pointing to a name on the list. "This gentleman was our mother's uncle. Prudence, Miss Ward—do say I may call you Natalie now that we know we are family!—is our third cousin!"

"Astonishing," Miss Farnin said, her tone tight. "You are allowing the tea to grow cold."

"Never mind her. She is always upset over something," Mrs. Neville said with a laugh. She picked up the teapot and began to pour. "I am so glad you all came today."

Eager to change the subject, Victoria said, "Have you made a decision regarding your future? I recall Jarrod mentioned that you wished to move on once the estate was settled."

"We are," Miss Farnin said bluntly.

Her sister, though, shook her head with a laugh. "Do not let her fool you. Prudence does not enjoy travel, especially since her precious armonica is so fragile, " she said, handing over a cup of tea to Victoria. "I have grown accustomed to Stockton, I think. I see no reason to leave."

"Then we shall all have time to become better acquainted while I am here," Natalie said, her tone filled with apparent happiness. "How exciting."

"Should you not return to your brother's protection?" Miss Farnin asked sharply.

If anything, Natalie's eyes widened. Anything she would have said was lost by Audra jumping back into the conversation. "And deprive me of my company?" she asked, clearly taking a page fro Natalie's book. Her tone fairly dripped with sweetness. "She has only been here a week!"

"And I only just met Mr. Matt Bentell," Natalie added. "I intend to further my acquaintance with him while I am here."

The two sisters froze at the name. "Have you found time to join the quilting circle?" Victoria asked swiftly, giving the two young woman a sharp look in the hopes they would get the message. "I was tired and did not attend the last meeting."

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind their unexpected guests, Prudence turned on her sister. "What are you thinking? We cannot stay! It would be St. Louis all over again! Did you learn nothing?"

A stubborn set to her face, Sarah Neville strode back to the living room. The maid was there, gathering the used dishes and setting them on the tray. "I am not finished here, Pru. You worry too much."

"Girl, get out," Prudence snapped as the maid seemed far too interested in the conversation. Ducking her head, the maid rushed out with the tray in her hands. "Sarah, I don't like this. You are insane."

"Am I? Or am I merely not conforming to your expectations for me?"

Striding across the room, Prudence grabbed her sister by the arms. "Leave the lawyer alone. His family will not let the matter rest if—"

Sarah shook her off. "You worry too much. I know what I'm doing. Now I have to prepare for lunch. I'm meeting Jarrod Barkley."

"What if it's true and Bentell is here? If you've deliberately forgotten what happened during the war, I assure you that I haven't!"

Without answering, Sarah turned and walked away. Silently fuming, Prudence watched her sister vanish through the doorway.

* * *

The moment she sat on the buggy seat, Natalie's shoulders sagged and she put her hand to her forehead. She remained quiet the entire way to the ranch, looking much older than she really was. Victoria held her silence until they walked into the house. "That was quite a performance, Natalie," she said, pulling her gloves off her hands.

"It was exhausting is what it was," Natalie answered, turning to face the older woman. "And you don't approve."

"Of course not. You deliberately manipulated Sarah Neville into thinking well of you."

"No. I simply behaved in a way that she approved of."

Audra glanced between them and hurried towards the kitchen, no doubt anxious to escape the conversation. "How often do you act in such a manner?" Victoria asked. "You seem remarkably skilled at it."

Natalie tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with perception. "Are you afraid I've manipulated your family? You recognized what I was doing today. Have I ever behaved like that with any member of the Barkley family?"

"It's not kind." Victoria searched her memory, and couldn't pinpoint a time when she felt the woman was manipulating the family. One might say she had done so by arriving with her story, knowing she would find support from her friends. "How can you do it?"

An edge appeared to Natalie's smile. "There is nothing kind about war. I learned that lesson very well."

"Will you ever let go of the war?" Victoria asked, not tempering the sharp tone of her voice. "Or will you continue to hide behind it as an excuse for everything that goes wrong in your life?"

The young woman's smile vanished. "Is that what you think?"

"In the two times you have come to my house you have brought shadows from the war."

"So I shouldn't try to help my brother? Is that what you're saying?" Natalie took a step back, a hurt expression on her face.

"You know it isn't," Victoria said with as much patience as she could muster. "There is, however, a difference between talking to people to help your brothers and bringing the war up in conversation to fight with someone who was on the opposite side."

For a moment, Natalie just stared at her. "Please excuse me, ma'am. I have gained a headache from this morning."

"You still run," Victoria commented as the young woman turned. "You blamed your brother earlier this year, but it's just you now and you still run. I wonder if you will ever stop. Forgive a mother's worrying, but I ask you to make up your mind before you break my son's heart."

Natalie's shoulders tensed but she didn't look back as she climbed the stars.


	11. Chapter 11

Jarrod approached the table with a smile. "Forgive me for making you wait," he said as a greeting. He took Mrs. Neville's hand and brought it to his lips. "A client needed advice and kept me longer than I expected."

"Has anyone not forgiven you, you charming man?" Mrs. Neville asked with a smile.

"The occasional client of a case I did not win," Jarrod said ruefully. He slipped into the opposite seat. "But let's not talk about that. You are looking exceptionally lovely today, Sarah."

She blushed and dropped her gaze. "You're just saying that to appease a widow's vanity."

"Surely you know by now, I never say anything I don't mean."

They both gave their orders to the waitress who brought coffee to them. "Your mother visited today with your sister and Miss Ward," Mrs. Neville commented once the waitress had hurried away. "It was lovely and kind of them to do so. And I was delighted to learn that Miss Ward and I are actually cousins. Distant cousins, but we are related."

"That is news. I do hope the war wasn't restarted in your parlor."

Mrs. Neville laughed lightly. "Not at all. In fact, Miss Ward was extremely sweet. I think my sister would have loved to start an argument, but the rest of us were able to keep that from happening." She sipped her coffee. "Miss Ward did make mention of a name I hadn't heard in a long time. Matt Bentell."

Jarrod kept from sighing. "What exactly did she say?"

"Oh, nothing. Simply that she couldn't leave without getting to know him better."

This time Jarrod's sigh was one of relief. "Yes, she went to the mining camp with Audra and Gene yesterday."

"I would have thought she would want nothing to do with anyone associated with Carterson," Mrs. Neville said, dropping her gaze. She drew a random pattern on the tabletop with her fingertip. "Whyever did she go up the mountain to meet him?"

"Natalie has an interest in learning everything she can about what happened to her twin brother during the war," Jarrod told her, deliberately remaining vague. "She hoped that Mr. Bentell would be able to tell her something."

"Oh, was the poor girl's brother at Carterson?"

The intense tone to the woman's voice made a slight frown cross Jarrod's forehead. "We believe he may have visited there in the last months of the war, but that's all we know," he said. He cleared his throat and put on a smile. "I'm sure you didn't ask to have lunch with me to discuss Natalie Ward's family."

Sarah Neville lifted her gaze quickly. "Of course not!" she exclaimed, reaching out to lay her hand on Jarrod's. "I am simply astonished that Matt Bentell came here. I mentioned that Prudence and I met him, didn't I? I'm curious if he remembers me or not."

"He does, actually."

"Well, then perhaps my sister and I will have to visit sometimes. Did I tell you I met with the quilting club this week? At first they seemed disinclined to allow me, but by the end of the afternoon, we were friends."

As the woman continued to tell him about the details about her time quilting, Jarrod couldn't quite shake the feeling of unease that had crept up on him.

* * *

Riding up to the barn, Nick tensed as he heard the crack of a rifle going off. He dismounted and tossed the reins to the closest hand. Another gunshot went off, and the dark haired rancher clenched his teeth. He set off in the direction he thought the sound was coming from. A third gunshot filled the air as he left the yard.

When he found the source of the shooting, Nick stopped in his tracks.

"Don't look so surprised, Nick Barkley. Haven't you ever seen a woman shoot before?" Natalie said without turning her head. She finished loading the rifle and lifted it again. She aimed at one of the cans and jars that she had set up at different areas in front of her. She squeezed the trigger and as the rifle fired a glass shattered.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked, impressed by the shot.

"I needed to clear my head so that's what I'm doing," Natalie said, lowering the rifle. "I assume you have some grievance you want to have out with me."

"Why do you think that?"

Heaving a sigh, Natalie faced him. "It seems everyone else does."

"Not Mother."

"Especially your mother."

Nick let out a low whistle as he stepped forward. "You must have done something pretty serious to make my mother angry," he said. He took the rifle from her and aimed it at one of the targets. His bullet knocked a can over and he gave a satisfied grin. "So. What did you do?"

"I was extremely nice to Mrs. Neville and gained her forgiveness for my part in what happened."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Nick loaded the rifle and passed it back to her. "Who let you into the gun cabinet?"

Natalie shook her head. "It was unlocked, and it was more the way I went about it that your mother didn't appreciate," she said, taking careful aim. Another glass shattered when she fired, a few feet further than Nick's can had been. "She said I was being unkind and manipulative."

"Did you try to get information from her?"

"No!" Natalie exclaimed, loading the rifle with ease. "I simply made sure she forgave me."

"I can't say that I'll cry any tears over any misfortune of Mrs. Neville, but I can see how Mother might take exception to what you did," Nick said as he took the rifle for his shot. "So I suppose the question is, _were_ you unkind and manipulative?"

Crossing her arms, the young woman watched him take out the next furthest target. "From a certain point of view, yes."

"So what are you upset about if it's true."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not exactly upset. I'm just...tired. Tired of the war. Tired of every one of my actions being scrutinized and explained away because of the war. Just...tired. If that makes any sense."

The rancher nodded, understanding her words more than he liked. He remembered returning from war and the nightmares that had followed. It had been a struggle to return to a normal life and to not view every person with suspicion or to wonder which side they had fought for. "It does."

Sighing, Natalie surveyed the broken and knocked over targets. "I think this is the longest conversation you have ever had with me," she commented, resting the rifle butt on the ground and leaning against it.

"What can I say? I've had more than my share of unkind, manipulative women in my lifetime and I don't much care for them," Nick said, only half joking. "Why did you come back?"

"I couldn't think of anywhere else to go."

"And you knew my family would jump to help you with anything you were dealing with."

Natalie studied him, tilting her head. "If I didn't know any better, I would call that a grievance. Or at the very least a bit of resentment."

"I've seen Heath put through a mental hell because of the war, and you carry it around with you like a badge of honor," Nick told her bluntly. "So, yeah. I don't like you being here. You don't know just how many people have come along expecting the Barkley family to solve their problems. It's nothing against you personally."

"I should hope it's nothing personal since you don't know me," Natalie said, keeping her tone light. She straightened up and lifted the rifle. "I suppose I should go in and be a nuisance elsewhere."

"Doing what?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'll pester Silas as I don't think I've managed to annoy him yet."

Nick couldn't back a chuckle as he watched the young woman walk in the direction of the house. Until he realized that she had left him to clean up the bottles and cans. "Hey!"

* * *

"Girl! Where is my sister?" Prudence Farnin demanded as she left the kitchen.

The maid gave a start, dropping the cloth she had been using to dust the banister. "Miz Neville hasn't come back from her lunch is Mr. Barkley," she said, her voice trembling.

Prudence let out a frustrated snarl. "Well, don't dawdle, girl. There's work to be done."

Nodding, the girl snatched up her cloth and began to rub the wood with vigor. Prudence returned to the kitchen and surveyed her work. "Look's like I'm going to have to clean up another mess without her."

* * *

The atmosphere around the table was strained that night in the Barkley house. Natalie watched the Barkleys and most of the family watched her in return. Conversation remained neutral, centering mostly on Audra's different projects for the orphanage. Any teasing she might have gotten was noticeably absent.

After the meal, they each went their own separate ways where previously they would have remained together. Jarrod retired to his study to finish work. Heath claimed that he had to clean his saddle and escaped to the barn, while Nick maintained he had a rifle to clean. Natalie went to her room to draw and Audra went into the kitchen.

That left Gene and Victoria in the living room. "What happened today?" the young college man asked as he carried a glass of sherry to his mother. "Natalie was even more quiet than she was yesterday, which I didn't think was possible."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Victoria asked, studying him.

A flush spread up Gene's neck. "Yes," he said honestly. "How could I not? She's clever and funny. I never dreamed I'd meet someone like her."

Victoria patted the seat next to her and he sat down. "Yes, I can see how you might be...attracted to Natalie and enjoy spending time with her," she said, choosing her words with care. "But what do you really know about her?"

A frown creased Gene's forehead. "Plenty. I know she was hospitable at Berkeley, feeding anyone who happened to stop by her brother's house to study," he said, his tone defensive. "I know she has written letters to the president, begging him to assist the reconstruction of the South. I know she will do anything for her friends and her family. What's wrong with that?"

Astounded, Victoria stared at him. "Natalie wrote to the president? To ask for help on behalf of the South?"

"You didn't think she really hated the South, did you?"

"It would have been natural given everything she went through in the war."

"Not everything she does is motivated by her war experience," Gene said, standing up. He paused and gave a slight laugh as he walked to the fireplace. "Although I guess the letters to the president are. I mean everything else. She's kind and generous because that's who she is, Mother."

Victoria studied them, worry plaguing her. "Is that you really feel? Or how she wants you to feel?"

Gene spun around, revulsion written on his face. "What kind of a question is that?"

"I'm just trying to make you see that all we know about Natalie is what she and her brother have told us."

"No. That's all _you_ know," Gene said firmly. "But you forget that I've known Natalie since I went to college. I've seen her when she couldn't possibly know I was there. Why are you suddenly asking these questions? You've welcomed her into our home twice now."

"Eugene, do not take that tone of voice with me, if you please." Victoria shook her head. "If you must know, today I saw a side of Natalie that I didn't think I would find in her. She was manipulative, and behaved in such a way that she made Mrs. Neville forgive her."

"Is that all?"

"You condone such behavior?"

Her youngest son let out a laugh. "Mother, it's not different from when Audra flirts with a new man in town, or Nick slicks back his hair for a pretty girl," he said. "I asked Natalie to find a way to make peace. When she and I go back to San Francisco, I didn't want to leave you with a neighbor feeling antagonistic. I don't trust Mrs. Neville."

Audra entered then, carrying a plate in one hand. "Mother, look what Natalie baked this afternoon. Blueberry turnovers! I don't know why she told Silas not to say anything about them. They're delicious!"

As he walked past her, Gene snatched one of the pastries off the plate. Audra swatted at him, but missed. "What's wrong, Mother?" she asked, walking over to offer the treat to Victoria. "I don't think I've seen Gene look so serious since the anthrax outbreak."

Rubbing her forehead, Victoria sighed. "He didn't like the concerns I had to give voice to. I worry about where all of this will lead us."

"Mother, you should try these," Audra said, picking up another pastry for herself. "I didn't think Natalie had any skill in baking."

With a smile, Victoria allowed her hand to drop and then reached for the sweet treat. "Apparently, Natalie has hidden depths we haven't seen yet. I don't know whether that concerns me or not."


	12. Chapter 12

If there was one thing Heath knew well, it was tension. It had followed him throughout his life, leaving him only when he'd found his place on the Barkley ranch. Even though there had been recurrences of trouble since that time, for the most part, life has been peaceful.

Not anymore and it was all thanks to the arrival of Natalie Ward.

It wasn't completely her fault. After all, she didn't intend to bring trouble with her. Trouble just seemed to follow her wherever she went.

"So, you think Sarah Neville and her sister had anything to do with this 'angel of death' thing?"

Surprised by Nick's voice, Heath looked up from his saddle. His half brother was making a show of examining the way the tack of hanging on the wall. "That's a pointed question," Heath said, returning his focus to his work. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with this 'thing,' Nick."

"When did I ever say that?"

"I don't know if they have anything to do with it or not," Heath said, silently acknowledging the point. "All I know is that I don't trust them."

"That makes two of us." Nick abandoned his perusal of the wall and faced Heath. "What are we going to do about it?"

"With any luck, Mrs. Neville will leave as she said she would and we won't have to deal with her or her sister."

Nick scowled and shook his head. "So we just let them go their own way, knowing they could have done something criminal?"

"Countless men did criminal things in the war and went unpunished." Heath decided he'd had enough of his task. "Look, Nick. I don't see what we can do. Jarrod said he would look into it, and short of riding off to search for information, we have to wait."

"I hate waiting."

That simple statement made Heath chuckle. "No secret there, Nick."

"Besides," Nick said as though it was an afterthought, "the sooner we solve this mess, the sooner Natalie Ward will be out of our lives again."

Heath thought back to the night before when he'd watched Gene and Natalie walk hand and hand out of the house. "I'm not so sure that's going to be the case, Brother Nick."

* * *

What Jarrod hadn't told his family was that he had sent out inquiries about his client. When he had looked into the Misses Farnin, there hadn't been any red flags. However, he suspected he might learn something different about Sarah Anderson.

It was a theory he kept to himself, especially since he hadn't heard from his contacts about his previous inquiries.

He felt the tension as much as anyone, though it wasn't as bad during breakfast. Gene was pointed in the attention he gave their guest, seeking to draw smiles and laughs from Natalie. Jarrod couldn't help but notice how his mother watched the young couple.

The meal wasn't half eaten when the sound of a wagon entering the yard could be heard. "Now what?" Nick asked, throwing his napkin on the table. He rose and hurried for the front door with Heath right on his heels.

"This is a fine way to start the morning," Jarrod said after he wiped his mouth. He rose and followed his brothers to the door.

It took a moment to recognize the woman sitting on the wagon bench. Her face was pale and anxious as she twisted around to where Nick was climbing into the wagon bed. " Mrs. Bentell," the lawyer said, hurrying forward. He reached up to help her down. "What happened?"

"My husband. He's terribly ill," Martha Bentell answered, her voice tremulous. She clutched Jarrod's hand tightly. "Your ranch was closest and I have done everything I could think of."

"Heath is going for the doctor," Nick said over his shoulder. "Come and help me, Jarrod."

As the dark haired lawyer moved to assist his brother, the rest of the family came out. Jarrod and Nick carried Matt Bentell into the house. Victoria rushed to put her arm around Mrs. Bentell's shoulders and escorted her in.

* * *

Restlessly, Nathaniel passed the length of the room. "Why don't you sit down and read," Ryan suggested, gesturing to the open books on the table. "It will be good for you to finish your education while you can."

"When is she coming back?"

Sighing, Ryan rested his arms on the table where he'd been trying to get a headstart on his studying. "When she's ready," he said with as much patience as he could muster. Every day, Nat would ask about Natalie in that same worried way. "She's still in California. She wanted to look into our holdings there."

"She shouldn't have gone."

"You've been doing so much better since she went though," Ryan said, keeping his tone encouraging. He turned back to his books and picked up his pen. "Whenever you really want her, we can send her a message and bring her back as soon as possible."

It was an offer he had repeatedly made, and only served to frustrate Nat. "I made her mad. That's why she's staying away." The young man's voice became distressed. "I told her I wouldn't tell anyone about what she did and I haven't. I didn't mean to see in the first place."

Ryan's hand went still in the middle of writing a note. "What do you mean, Nat?" he asked.

"She said she was helping them, and made me promise not to tell," Nat whispered.

Slowly, Ryan stood up. "Jack," he said, his tone gentle and calm. "Why don't you tell me about it? She said you could tell me anything."

* * *

In the bed, Matt Bentell convulsed again despite Dr. Merar's attempts to hold the suffering man down. Once the episode passed, the man became still, his face pale against the pillow. Satisfied he had done all he could, the doctor left the bed.

The man's wife stood up as he entered the living room. "Is he alright?" she asked.

"Given time and plenty of rest, I believe he will make a full recovery," Dr. Merar said, his tone gentle.

"What illness does he have?" Audra asked as Mrs. Bentell collapsed back into her chair.

"No illness. The signs all point to one thing: arsenic." Shock filled the room. The doctor's voice became grave. "It's not something I have seen often, but the symptoms Mr. Bentell is showing is textbook for arsenic poisoning."

In an instant, Mrs. Bentell was on her feet and facing the Barkleys. "This is your doing!" she accused. "You just ride up to my husband and remind him of things he's put behind him. Now you poison him? Why can't you let him be?"

"Whoa! Audra, Natalie, and I may have asked questions but we aren't responsible for poisoning Mr. Bentell!" Gene objected immediately. "What reason would we have to kill him?"

"Revenge." Mrs. Bentell turned her gaze to Heath.

"That's absurd!" Audra exclaimed. "None of us would do something like that!"

Jarrod held his hands up. "Let's all just calm down." He turned to Dr. Merar. "Thank you, Doctor. Will you be able to stay with Mr. Bentell awhile longer?"

With a nod, the doctor left the room and returned upstairs, unwilling to know more of the situation. "It was those pastries!" Mrs. Bentell said, her fisted hands trembling with pent up emotion. "You sent them, thinking we both would eat them, but only Matt did."

Victoria's breath caught in her throat. "What pastries?"

"Those turnovers you sent up on the supply wagon." Mrs. Bentell shook her head with a bitter laugh. "I cannot believe I was so naive. I thought what a kind gesture it was sending a sweet treat up in a basket. There was even a ribbon tied to the handle."

Nick gave a scoff, but Audra had turned to her friend. "Natalie, you baked turnovers yesterday," she said slowly.

Everyone's gaze turned to Natalie, who suddenly had gone pale. "I did," she said, her voice calm and controlled. "You found and ate most of them last night."

"You can't possibly be implying that Natalie would poison someone!" Gene said, visibly bristling. He put his hand on the woman's shoulder. "That's ridiculous."

"What did my husband do to you?" Mrs. Bentell demanded, staring at Natalie.

"Clearly the baked goods came from here as the supply wagon was loaded here," Jarrod said, his tone placating. "It will be simple to find the driver and ask him what happened."

He looked at Heath and Nick, who had exchanged quick glances. "I'll go find Hank," Nick said and then strode out of the room.

Mrs. Bentell hadn't moved her gaze from Natalie, who returned the stare with equal intensity. "Mrs. Bentell, perhaps your husband will be comforted if you are by him when he wakes," Jarrod suggested.

She gave a bitter laugh as she rose. "So you can brush this all under a rug? Well, let me tell you, you may have me out of the room, but I won't let this be forgotten. Not until the person responsible—" Her gaze narrowed in Natalie's direction. "— is brought to justice for this."

Silence filled the room after Mrs. Bentell left the room. After a few seconds, Jarrod cleared his throat. "Natalie—"

"Why are you so quick to suspect me? I. Didn't. Do it," the young woman said, meeting his gaze. "Why would I want to hurt them, or anybody? What reason would I have?"

"Any sister would be upset after hearing their brother may have been at Carterson," Jarrod said gently.

A blush appeared on Audra's face as she looked down. How well she remembered when she heard about Heath's time in Carterson, and she had sided with her family that Heath should let good of his anger. Something she now regretted.

"Natalie, when did you learn this?" Victoria asked, shock in her voice.

"How do you know about that?" Natalie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She leaned her head back to look at Gene, who shook his head quickly.

"I thought Jarrod should know since he was—" Heath started to say, but the young woman had already turned on him.

"How could you?" Natalie demanded. "I told you that in confidence, Heath! I only thought _maybe_ Nat and the men he was with stopped at Carterson on their way to...somewhere else. It's not anything I know for sure."

"Nevertheless, I need to know when you have those kinds of theories," Jarrod said in an attempt to shift the furious, defensive woman's attention off Heath.

Oddly enough, it only served to make Natalie's demeanor frigid. "Oh? Well, then, you should know that Mrs. Neville and Miss Farnin have confirmed that they are related to me. Their resemblance to me and their admission to have visited Carterson cannot be coincidence."

"I took that into consideration."

Nick returned then with one of the hired men in tow. "Alright, Hank. Tell them what you told me."

The poor man looked nervous with everyone's attention on him. "Well, I was finishing loading up the supply wagon. I was behind schedule due to a loose wheel that needed fixed, otherwise I would have ended up stuck between here and the logging camp."

"Yes, of course," Jarrod said. "Were you given a basket to take up to the camp?" Hank gave a quick nod and everyone seemed to lean forward. "Who gave it to you?"

"Well, you see Mr. Barkley, I was under the wagon when she came," Hank said, his tone even more nervous than before. "I only had a glimpse of her as she was walking away. She had black hair and was wearing a blue dress."

Natalie's chin came up, defiance written on her face despite how pale she was. "Thank you, Hank," Jarrod said, giving the man a dismissive nod. As the hand made his escape, the lawyer focused on Natalie. "I can't help you unless you're honest with me and it will be better if you tell me the truth, Natalie."

"Did you ignore what I last said? The Farnin sisters have a resemblance to me, and I am certainly not the only black haired woman in this area," Natalie said with dignity. She pushed herself out of the chair, shaking off Gene's hand.

"No, you're not," Gene said, jumping to her defense. He sent a glare at his oldest brother. "Why would Natalie lie?"

"She had motive and opportunity," Jarrod pointed out.

"I have had enough. I will not stand here and listen to anymore accusations," Natalie said, starting for the doorway.

Swiftly, Jarrod stepped in front of her. "Natalie, don't leave the house."

"Aren't you supposed to tell me not to leave town?" she asked, a wry smile twisting her lips. "Don't worry, Jarrod. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't run from _everything_."

With that, she stepped around Jarrod and left the room. "She came here looking for help and this is how you treat her?" Gene asked, glaring at his brother. "What happened to innocent until proven guilty? You're jumping to conclusions based on coincidence."

The young man left the room with a disappointed expression. "Well, this has gone downhill fast," Nick remarked. "I wonder what they teach at that school that makes everyone who goes near it to have the same righteous indignation?"

"Nicholas, this is not a joking matter," Victoria said sharply. She shook her head. "Jarrod, what will you do? Natalie seemed sincere, but the evidence..."

"Gene had a point though." Heath spoke for the first time since Natalie had unleashed her anger at his betrayal of her confidence. "It _is_ all coincidence. If Natalie was ever going to murder someone, she'd be a bit smarter about it."

Jarrod let out an incredulous laugh. "Hardly a stirling recommendation if you believe she is capable of murder."

"Everyone is capable of murder if they are pushed hard enough," Victoria said softly. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Audra cleared her throat. "Well, I think you've all neglected to consider one very important fact," she said, getting their attention. "Silas was in the kitchen at the same time as Natalie and knows how much, let alone _what,_ she baked. How do we know it was blueberry turnovers that the Bentells received? Mrs. Bentell never said what kind they were."

The rest of the family exchanged glances. "That...is a very good point," Jarrod said, his expression somewhat ashamed.


	13. Chapter 13

Natalie was waiting for Jarrod by the buggy, her expression apprehensive. "Did they confess?" she asked.

"I got as close of a confession as possible."

"I guess we need to make another visit to the sheriff," Natalie said with a sigh. "Does he ever see you coming and just lock the door?"

"Sometimes I think he does," Jarrod said, sending one last look at the house.

* * *

Audra shook her head. "I don't understand."

The family was gathered in the living room, a very pale Matt Bentell and his wife among them. "I don't either," Martha Bentell said, agreeing with the lone Barkley daughter. "Why would those two women want to kill my husband and I?"

"Desperation to keep their secret, or both of their secrets, hid from the world," Jarrod responded, shaking his head. "The clues were in front of us all, from the phrase Natalie brought with her that her brother said to the fact that the Farnin sisters had made frequent visits to Southern war prisons, but it wasn't until I received Ryan Ward's telegram that the pieces fell together."

"Get on with it, Councillor," Nick said, gesturing to the gathered audience. "We know this already."

"Nicholas, don't interrupt," Victoria immediately chided. "Let him tell it his way. Please continue, Jarrod."

Jarrod gave his mother a grateful smile. "It's hard to know where to start with a case as convoluted as this one," he said. "During the war, Sarah and Prudence Farnin decided that the best way they could assist the Confederate cause was to...thin down the population of the union prisoners. They distributed food laced with poison to the prisoners."

Across the room, Natalie closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "I never condoned that," Bentell said, his tone vehement.

"I don't think they made it well known what they did, although those in charge at Andersonville would not have objected if they had known."

"How does Natalie's brother figure into all this?" Heath asked, his voice tight with the controlled emotions that came whenever the war was discussed.

"As it happened, Nathaniel Ward, in the company of the man who had taken him in, saw at least one of the sisters distributing the poisoned food and then saw the results," Jarrod explained. "Given that Natalie bears a resemblance to the Farnin sisters, explains why her brother would mistake her as a threat."

Everyone was silent as they absorbed the information. "What will happen to them?" Martha Bentell asked.

The lawyer spread his hands. "It's hard to say. I've notified my contacts in the government," he said. "In the meantime, I went to the sheriff and he intended to place them under house arrest for attempted murder."

"You said they had two secrets," Audra said curiously. "What is the second one?"

"Sarah Farnin has had a series of husbands since she left Atlanta, Georgia in the early part of the war," Jarrod explained, his tone becoming abrupt. "Most of them were supporters for the Union. There were several instances where those who know the man suspected the deceased had met a premature end but there was never any evidence."

"I'm just glad it's finally over, and I am free of all suspicion," Natalie said, speaking up for the first time since everyone had gathered together. "My brothers can move onto dealing with the other horrors Nat faced in the war."

"Now that it is solved, do you plan on going back to Boston?" Victoria asked.

Natalie shook her head as she stood up. "No, I am on to San Francisco as I originally planned. Did you know that Berkeley is one of the few colleges to offer courses to women? Ryan never wanted me to take one, but he's not here now. If you'll excuse me, I have to finish packing."

She swept out of the room with all the dignity of a society matron. "A headstrong young woman," Bentell commented.

"You have no idea," Jarrod said, not missing the way Gene stared after their young guest. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this, Matt."

"I think Martha and I know we'll never be able to hide completely from the war," the logging foreman said, sending an affectionate glance at his wife. "Being poisoned by someone who had a hand in murdering prisoners, however, was not something we considered. We're just looking forward to returning to our normal life."

* * *

As had become part of their evening routine, Gene and Natalie took a walk, leaving the house far behind them. "Are you really going to take a course at Berkeley?"

A thoughtful expression on her face, Natalie tilted her head back to look up at the darkening sky. "I've been considering it," she said honestly. "Once I review the numbers for my family's businesses in California, I'll need something to occupy my time." She glanced over at her escort. "After all, we won't be making that trip to Mexico."

"What a shame," Gene said, half serious. "Maybe we'll end up being study partners."

"Is that the only way you'll come visiting?"

Before Gene could say anything, the snap of a twig behind them made them both spun around. Immediately, Gene stepped in front of Natalie, his stance protective. Prudence Farnin stood only a few yards away, a pistol aimed at the two young people.

"This is your fault," the woman said, her voice cold and filled with determination. "Why did you have to come and destroy my life?"

"Miss Farnin," Gene began to say, raising his hands in a placating manner.

The woman jerked the gun, her hand tightening. "Silence!" She kept her eyes on Natalie, who was peering around Gene. "My sister is dead now. Did you know that? She drank arsenic. There was nothing the doctor could do to help her. Have you ever seen someone die of arsenic poisoning?"

Natalie's fingers curled around Gene's arm. "No, but I think you have," the young woman said, a tremble in her voice. "I'm sorry for your loss. You must be heartbroken. Maybe if you come to the house and sit down—"

"What do you know about anything? Sarah was...was always too good for this world," Prudence said with a half laugh. "Everyone loved her. She was the one men always wanted, but I still loved her. I protected her from herself and from everyone that hurt her."

There was a crazed expression on her face, made even more terrifying by the growing shadows. "Killing us won't bring your sister back," Gene said, choosing his words carefully. "You know that, don't you?"

"At least I will have the satisfaction of seeing her dead," Prudence said, her tone venomous as she nodded towards Natalie. "And if you get in the way of that happening, my conscience will be clean. I gave you fair warning."

Her hand seemed to steady. As hard as she could, Natalie shoved Gene, sending them both toppling onto the ground. The gun fired at the same time, the bullet sailing right over them. "Run," Natalie said right before she scrambled to her feet. Though her skirts tangled around her ankles, she bolted to the right.

Catching on quickly, Gene scrambled up and went in the opposite direction, even though all he really wanted was to follow Natalie. With an angry cry, Prudence fired again, the bullet going nowhere near either young person. "You can run, but you can't hide!" the angry woman shouted.

Swiftly, Natalie dodged behind a tree as the woman fired a third time. Bark flew off near her face and she flinched back. "Someone will have heard you shooting, and will be coming," she called out. "There's no way you'll get away with this."

The only answer was a fourth shot in her direction. Several yards away, Gene looked over, making eye contact with Natalie. 'Go,' he mouthed, gesturing with his head towards where the house was,

She shook her head, refusing to take the easy way out. "I don't care if I have to kill you both," Prudence shouted at them. "I will find you, Natalie Ward!"

"Gene! Natalie!" Heath's voice rang out. "Is everything alright?"

At the same time, they both yelled, "No!"

Spinning around, Prudence fired a shot in the direction Heath's voice had come from. There was a responding gunshot and, as Natalie peered around the tree again, Prudence crumbled to the ground. The young woman surged out of hiding and headed for the woman.

Gene was only a few seconds faster, and he kicked the pistol away. At the same time, Heath ran up, gun in hand. "Are you two alright?" the fair haired man asked.

"We're fine, but Miss Farnin is not," Natalie responded, kneeling by the woman who had attacked them. "Someone needs to go for the doctor."

Heath crouched beside her and shook his head. "It's too late for a doctor. What was she doing out here?"

"Grief and desperation drove her to it," Natalie said softly. She could hear the sounds of the rest of the family and ranch hands coming. "I think she expected to die."

Reaching over, Heath squeezed her shoulder and then stood up.

* * *

It was hard to tell who was more relieved the day Natalie boarded her train: the Barkleys or Natalie herself. She sat by the window, staring out at the town. "What do you think the odds are that Ward will be on the first train to California when he learns I accompanied you to Berkley?" Gene asked as he stretched his legs out.

"Oh, I would imagine the odds are about as good as certain members of your family trying to convince you not have anything to do with me," Natalie said with a smile as she moved her gaze to him.

Gene chuckled. "Yeah, probably."

She reached over and laced her fingers with his. "I think, if you can stand up to your family, I can stand up to my brother."

The train jolted into motion. On the platform, Victoria watched with a worried frown. Her other children had already moved away. "What is that expression for?" Jarrod said, putting his arm around her. "

"I still worry," the matriarch said with a sad smile. "He'll be so far away. What if his emotions override his thinking? He will have no one to give him advice and help him see things clearly. Maybe you should have gone with them."

"You gave your advice, Mother. Gene, like the rest of us, has to make his own decisions and live his own life. Besides, Natalie, with all of her faults, is a lovely young lady."

"Mother!" Audra called out. "Are you coming?"

Pushing her doubts and worries aside, Victoria turned. Arm in ar, with her oldest son, she walked for the buggy.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**_


End file.
